


Wanted

by AgentAyu



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-13
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 11:49:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3809296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentAyu/pseuds/AgentAyu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being released from the asylum, Azula had nowhere to go. The Fire Nation didn't want their "crazy princess", the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom didn't want her. Finding her way to a small Earth Kingdom village, Azula befriends someone unexpected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, except all the characters that were not in the series and this story.
> 
> Notes: This is one of my Post-War Azula head canons.

The little girl snuck out of her room and down the hall to her father's patient room. She didn't know why, but her father's current patient sparked an interest to her. There have been patients in the past that didn't belong to her village, but she never cared to get to know them while they recovered. Jing walked into the room and climbed onto the bed and watches her father's patient sleep.

Earlier that day while Jing and her father were out picking herbs, this woman collapsed in front of the young girl. Jing already knew the sleeping woman was a firebender. She knew because she saw the firebender's golden eyes before she collapsed. Jing has gold eyes too and is a firebender.

"Jing, what are you doing up?" Her father walked into the patient room to check on his patient.

"I… uh… I was just curious about her. She's a firebender, daddy!"

"Really?" Yu picked up his daughter before setting her down on his seat. "I wonder which island in the Fire Nation she came from then. Or which colony."

"But I thought the colonies were removed from the Earth Kingdom after the war. That's what you and mommy told me."

"Yes, Fire Lord Zuko did remove all colonies from the Earth Kingdom a several years ago, but that doesn't mean she wasn't born there. The Fire Nation had occupied parts of the Earth Kingdom for a hundred years. Look at you, honey, even though you were born here, you're a firebender too." Yu filled a bowl with water and brought it up to his patient's lips to keep her hydrated.

"When do you think she'll wake up? Do you think she'll teach me some firebending?"

"I don't want you asking my patient a lot of questions when she wakes up. She's on the path of recovery and she can't recover comfortably if you ask her a lot of questions and try to pressure her into teaching you firebending." Yu unwrapped the bandages around his patient's arms to inspect the burn she had. "Do you understand, Jing?"

"Yes, daddy. Do you think she'll enjoy it if I read to her? Even if she's asleep."

Yu paused what he was doing and thought about his daughter's question. "Yes, I think she would enjoy that."

Jing leaned in a little closer to look at the patient's face as her father replaced the bandages on the woman's arm. "She kind of looks like mommy."

"Yeah, she kind of does. Come on, Jing, time for you to go to bed. Just because mommy is away for the next month doesn't mean you're allowed to stay up way past your bedtime. You can read to my patient in the morning after your chores."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Four years. Four years in the asylum until she was released and declared sane again. But no one in the Fire Nation, no one in the whole world believes that to be true except for one person. Zuko. Zuko believed his sister had recovered and changed. And she had changed, a little. Azula wasn't the power hungry firebending princess she was during the war. Instead she ignored the world around her. She was numb. No one knows how or when it happened, but after years of various doctors trying to heal the princess she suddenly became lucid.

There was a slight uproar in the Fire Nation when they heard their 'crazy princess' was returning to the palace. They feared their princess would betray their Fire Lord's trust and usurp him. Even Mai didn't want her at the palace, in fear for her husband and her daughter.

Two years had passed since she was released from the asylum and no plans of usurping her brother ever crossed her mind. Instead the princess preferred to be left alone and ignored most of the time. However, if it wasn't her brother that was occasionally checking in on her, it was her niece who had some kind of fascination for her. A few weeks after returning to the palace, she bummed into her niece after the younger princess somehow managed to escape from her caretaker's supervision. Azula did nothing with her niece except keep an eye on her until one of the servants spotted the two Fire Nation princesses. When the servants tried apologizing not keeping a better eye on the young princess, Azula just brushed them off and told them if they wanted to apologize to someone they should apologize to either their Fire Lord or Fire Lady.

Ever since their first encounter, the younger Fire Nation princess had always found a way to find her aunt. After several months of this happening, the servants learned that if they found Azula, they would find the Fire Lord's daughter. It was seldom did Azula have any actual interactions with her niece, but when she did there was always a genuine smile on both of their faces.


	2. Chapter I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: There are some references made to The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko's Story because I found that it could have happened in the show as well.
> 
> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from Prologue still applies.

Zuko wondered into one of the training grounds to find Azula in the middle of a circle of wooden lanterns, standing at various heights. Ever since Azula returned to the palace the training ground always seemed to have new things set up for the elder Fire Nation princess. He stayed quiet as he watched his sister.

Azula let out a deep breath before opening her eyes and firebending all of the small flames out of the lanterns and have small balls of fire surround her. She brought the small flames in to form a one ball of fire that was the size of her fist. The elder princess was disappointed in her flame. It wasn't burning blue like it had in the past and she had been trying to get her fire to burn blue again. She separated the one ball into their smaller forms again and pushed them back into the lanterns without setting any of them on fire.

"That's very good control you have there." Zuko finally spoke up. "Is that what you've been doing since you came back?"

"I was chi blocked for four years, what do you think? It wasn't painful or anything, but it felt weird. They had special bracelets, anklets, and choker built so I wouldn't be able to produce fire while I was still insane. Can't blame them. I was the world's strongest female firebender at one point." Azula crossed her arms and looked everywhere but her brother.

The Fire Lord sighed and walked up to his sister. "What was your drive for your firebending? It had to be something strong for it to be as powerful as it was and blue for that matter!"

"How honest do you want me to be?"

"I'll take brutal honesty. I'm used to getting that from you."

Azula sighed. "To not end up like you. As long as I was stronger and perfect, I wouldn't end up like you. That changed after the Day of Black Sun. Father saw me as a failure for trusting you and even worse for lying to him. If it wasn't for my success of bringing down Ba Sing Se, he more than likely would have scarred and banish me as well. I was terrified that he was going to do just that when I returned after failing to capture you at the Boiling Rock. Not only did I not capture you, Ty Lee and Mai betrayed me and that was unforgivable in father's eyes for my misplaced judgment."

For the first time in years, Azula finally looked at her brother and stared at his scar. "Still being honest, I sometimes wondered how life would be for me if he had just scared and banish me before Sozin's Comet. Maybe I wouldn't have gone insane, but I'd still have probably hated you. I guess it's a matter of which would have been the lesser of two evils."

Zuko sat down on a near by bench. "Being scared is being marked for life. Everyone will see that you lost your honor at some point and no matter how hard you try to ignore that, people will always know you did something dishonorable."

"I'D RATHER BE MARKED ON MY FACE FOR LOSING MY HONOR THAN BRANDED INSANE!" All the lanterns caught fire from Azula losing control of her temper.

"You were able to take your scar and change it's meaning by getting your honor back. As for me, being declared insane will forever taint my reputation and it's officially documented. You don't think I hear the servants gossiping about me? Just because I want to be left alone and be ignored doesn't mean I don't hear what others say around the palace. No one will be able to take me seriously because they think I'll have a lapse of insanity again. I don't want to be marked as the crazy princess for the rest of my life. I don't want people to pity me for being a fourteen year old girl who lost her sanity." Azula looked down at the ground as she felt tear start to roll down her cheeks. "No one will ever trust me again. I'll forever be the joke of the Fire Nation and I can't do anything to change that."

"I trust you. I'm not saying I don't have that fear that you might betray me, but I trust you… if I make any sense. Besides my daughter doesn't have a problem with you. In fact I hear she always goes looking for you and spends her whole day with you even if you do nothing with her." Zuko weakly smiled. "I don't think she would do that if she didn't trust you, Azula."

"She's four years old, Zuko. The older she gets the more she'll learn and understand what happened during Sozin's War, as it's officially named. While she might 'admire' me now, she won't when she finds out what I did. She won't when she finds out I lost my sanity during the last days of the war. Let's face it, Zuko. I'm the family's big disappointment. Having me around is going to have people questioning you with every decision you make as Fire Lord."

"Always the pessimist."

"And when did you become so optimistic?"

The two siblings stared at each other as they tried to read the other's thoughts. Zuko sighed and broke eye contact. "I'm temporarily banishing you."

"What?"

"I'm temporarily banishing you from the Fire Nation. You need to get out of here and find yourself. You won't be able to do that if you stay here in the palace. Three years. That's how long I was gone. What do you say?" He stood up and sheepishly grinned at Azula who didn't look too amused.

"Did you hit your head on a rock? There is no one would be willing to travel with me for three years."

"I'll find a crew. You don't even after to stay with them for three years. Once you leave the Fire Nation, you choose where you want to go and what you want to do. You're free to decide."

"Doesn't sound like I have much of a choice."

"Would you rather I make it an order? Would that make you feel better?" Zuko playfully asked.

"Whatever." With that Azula walked away from the training grounds.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"… Forever swimming, La and Tui began their eternal dance and bringing harmony to the world." Jing finished reading the last of the Water Tribe myths and fairytales. She looked over at her father's patient as the woman continued sleeping. Two days have gone by and the woman hadn't shown any signs of waking up. "You know I don't find the Water Tribe stories as interesting as the Fire Nation stories. Not that I'm trying to sound bias or anything since the Water Tribe stories have their own lessons to be taught, but most of their stories are very spiritual. I'll probably like them more when I'm older."

She looked outside to see the sun beginning to set. "Oh no! I forgot to practice this afternoon! I'm sorry, I'll be right back after I practice some of my firebending. When I get back I'll begin reading stories from the Earth Kingdom!" Jing set her book on a near by table and ran out of the patient room.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Izumi was screaming as her mother held onto her. Even though she didn't really know what was happening, she knew something was going to change. After a few days, Azula took her brother up on his proposal of having her banished from the Fire Nation for three years. Zuko managed to recruit almost all of the sailors from his banishment to go with his sister.

"On the bright side, you're having a better ship than I got when I was banished." Zuko joked as the two stared up at the ship.

"That was not my fault. All you asked was for me to talk to father to give you a ship. You never said I had to try and get you a nice one. At least you were smart enough to take my advice and change your bandages since you didn't lose that eye." Azula watched as the crewmen finished carrying the last of the cargo onto the ship.

Zuko watched his sister as this kind of reminded him leaving the Fire Nation the first time. "Uncle says you're welcome to visit him any time at his tea shop in Ba Sing Se."

Azula smirked. "Right, as if Ba Sing Se would allow its conqueror to come into their city again. I'll think about it. Doubt it… but I'll think about it. What would be the point of my 'banishment' if I were to go to Ba Sing Se? You traveled the world trying to find the Avatar when we originally thought he wouldn't return. That's what I need to do."

The elder princess looked over at her niece as she kept on crying in Mai's arms. Azula walked over to Mai and looked at the Fire Lady, asking if she could hold Izumi. Mai sighed as she handed her daughter to Azula. The moment Izumi was in Azula's arms she stopped wailing, but tears were still rolling down her cheeks.

"Alright, kid. Stop crying, if you're not hurt there is no point in you crying. Aunt Azula is going to be gone for at least three years and she needs this very much. I know I didn't interact with you a lot over years, but I'll admit it was still nice having your company. Do you understand?"

Izumi nodded. "I just don't want you to go. Why do people want you to go away?"

Such an innocent question caught Azula off guard. The elder princess' expression softened as she answered her niece. "Because I did a lot of bad things before you were born. You'll understand when you're older. Right now I need to find myself."

"Why? You're right here."

"Physically I am. But there's something inside me that's missing and I need to find it again."

"Can't you find it here?"

Azula shook her head. "No. Your daddy will explain it to you someday." She was caught off guard again when she felt her niece's small arms warp around her neck.

The younger Fire Nation princess hugged her aunt as hard as she could. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, kid."

Izumi let go of her aunt and walked back to stand by her mom as she watched her dad and aunt talk to each other some more. The young princess looked up at her mom. "How come you're not saying good-bye to Aunt Azula?"

Mai looked down at her daughter. "It's something else daddy and I will tell you when you're older. A lot of stuff happened between us before you were born. It's hard to explain right now." The Fire Lady lightly brushed her hand through her daughter's hair.

Zuko handed his sheathed broad swords to Azula. "Here, you might need these if you need to hide your firebending. It's funny I got these swords from a traveling Fire Nation actor who was being coerced to enlist to the military. He gave these to me as thanks for helping him save his son from Commander Kanku. That was only a few months after being banished too."

"Sounds like you had quite the adventure at the beginning of your banishment."

"Sir," The two royal siblings looked over at the ship's captain. "We're ready for departure when the princess is ready."

The Fire Lord and elder princess looked at each other having a silent conversation again. That was something the two started doing since Azula returned to the palace four years ago. The two closed the gap between them and hugged each other. They stayed there for a while because they last time they hugged each other was when they were little kids.

"Hey, Zuzu."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

She felt Zuko squeeze a little tighter before the two broke their embrace. Azula just nodded before pulling away even more and began walking up the gangplank. As the bowsprit began to rise, she turned around to see Izumi trying hard not to cry again as she waved good-bye. The elder Fire Nation princess gave her niece one of her genuine smiles and waved before the bowsprit fully closed.

Azula walked through the ship and immediately found what was her cabin and dropped off the swords Zuko gave her before heading up to the deck. When she finally step foot on the deck, the ship was already out of the port and heading towards the Great Gates of Azulon. She walked to the back of the ship to watch the Fire Nation Capital become smaller and smaller until she couldn't see it anymore.


	3. Chapter II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from Prologue still applies

"So what are you going to do?"

Azula looked over at her bed seeing Ty Lee sitting cross-legged. "The only thing that's expected of me, deal with a traitor and foil whatever plan Zuko the Avatar's friends are doing. There is no room for error." She leaned against the railing of her balcony as she watched the sun set over the horizon of Caldera City. "I can't fail again or I'll end up just like Zuko."

Ty Lee uncrossed her legs and leaned on her knees. "Are things really that bad? Is your father that angry with you?"

"You weren't there, Ty Lee. You weren't there in the Crystal Catacombs, you weren't in the war room when I told my father everything that happened in Ba Sing Se, when I lied to him and told him Zuko killed the Avatar, you weren't here during the Invasion, and you weren't in the war room where I had to hear my father tell me how I foolish to trust anyone, especially Zuko, and that I lied to him. You have no idea what I am going through."

The acrobat got up and stood next to the princess. "No, I don't know. I'm trying to since you only talk to me about what happens in those meetings with your father anyway." She placed her hand over Azula's. "I wasn't there for everything you listed off because you either kept me out of it or I wasn't allowed in."

The princess huffed as she smirked. "That's because I don't and can't trust anyone else. Even though Mai's my friend too, well, you've been there the whole time. You know we don't get along as well as you and I do."

"Yeah, I've been there for those." Ty Lee wrapped her arm around Azula's and leaned against the railing too. "It's like I told Zuko on Ember Island, I know him and I know you too. I'm honored to get to see this side of you, it's more you than what your father wants the world to see."

Azula frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means everyone will always see a lie and never know it."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Azula removed her arm from Ty Lee's and walked back into her room.

"Yes, I do. You and Mai may not believe in auras, but I do. While your aura might not be a dingy grey like Mai's, you have this muddy red and yellow almost brown aura. You're angry and unsettled. That's all I see from you these days except the few occasions you open up. A few minutes ago it was a mixed bright fire colors, which all has their own meanings, but that's the aura of the real you not the one I'm that I'm seeing now.

You also can't lie to me. You might be a very good liar, but your aura changes when you're lying. Can you honestly tell me that you're not angry?"

The Fire Nation princess clenched her jaw as she turned towards Ty Lee. "I'm not angry."

Ty Lee gave a small smile. "Yes, you are, but only a little. You're more unsettled than you are angry."

Azula rolled her eyes as she sat down on her bed. The acrobat sighed and sat next to the princess. "Azula, talk to me. Your usual façade isn't normal, if that makes any sense. It's much worse."

"It's about tomorrow. If things go as bad as they could I'll have no choice but…"

"But?"

"To kill Zuko."

The acrobat pulled away slightly. "That's not funny, Azula. I know you sometimes have a rather dark humor as part of your façade, but nothing like that."

"Who's laughing?" Azula stared hard at the ground as she clenched her fists.

"Azula… that's crazy. No, you can't do that. You have never killed anyone or anything. How do you think you can kill your own brother?"

"That's where you're wrong, Ty Lee. I have killed before. I killed the Avatar in Ba Sing Se."

"Now you're really crazy. The Avatar is still alive. You saw him during the Invasion."

"He died in Ba Sing Se. No one could have survived a direct hit like he did and still have lived. I don't know how he survived, but something with the way Zuko acted the day we got back to the Fire Nation told me he survived. Zuko knew something I didn't and that's why I told my father that Zuko had killed the Avatar. I can't return here from the Boiling Rock a failure. I have to stop him no matter what it takes."

Ty Lee squeezed Azula's hand. "You're not a murderer, Azula. I'm not even counting what happened to the Avatar since he's still alive. You've never killed anyone and you shouldn't have to. You can stop them without killing Zuko or anyone else. Please, Azula!"

Azula shook her head. "It's not that easy. You don't have the pressure of the Fire Nation on your shoulders. I have to prove I'm nothing like Zuko. That's my drive. That's all I know. That's all I'll probably ever know. I can't be like Zuko."

"You're already so much like him." Ty Lee jumped away from the bed before Azula could turn and glare at her. "You're acting a lot like he did before he was banished. Well, at least the way you described him."

"How can you say that?" Azula stood up and glared at Ty Lee. "I am nothing like him. I refuse to be like him."

"I told you how I could say that. And I told you I know you! Sometimes it's scary how much I know you better than you."

The princess looked in the acrobat's eyes trying to find something, anything really. The girl in front of her was not the same one Azula had tricked into joining her mission a few months ago. The Ty Lee at the circus wouldn't have argued with her no matter what. Azula was stumped with what changed. When did Ty Lee not fear her, if she ever feared her at all?

"Zuko is weak. I'm not weak."

Suddenly Azula felt herself pushed back onto her bed, as she sat up Ty Lee was straddling her lap. "Ty Lee! What are you do-"

Azula froze when she saw the look on the other girl's face. She couldn't recall see Ty Lee ever looking as serious even when the acrobat was angry on Ember Island. "Is it really being weak opening to someone? Or letting someone else support you?"

"Ty L-" The words were caught in Azula's throat. She honestly didn't know how to respond to Ty Lee's questions. The acrobat's face was really close to hers.

"I think by opening yourself, trusting someone, letting them support you makes you stronger. That way you don't have to carry all the weight. It takes a lot of strength to trust someone. By not trusting someone I think you would be a coward and weak."

The princess opened her mouth to respond, but again nothing came out. Her heart was beating quickly against her chest and she had to mentally remind herself to breathe.

"The Azula the world sees is weak. The Azula I see is strong because she let me in. The Azula the world sees would never have told me what you have. You're not weak and neither is Zuko. You're both stronger than your father for trusting others."

Ty Lee began to lean into Azula. The firebender pulled back slightly before beginning to lean in herself. Their foreheads touched, nervous smiles were exchanged, and they continued leaning towards each other. Their lips were barely touching before they both pulled back slightly only to lean in again. Before their lips touched they were broken from their trance when someone knocked on the princess's door.

The acrobat pulled herself completely off the other girl as Azula slowly stood up and walked over to her door. Both girls had to let out several deep breaths before Azula opened her door. On the other side was one of the messenger servants.

"What is it?"

"Your highness, the Fire Lord requests for you in his throne room. Immediately." The servant bowed and walked away as fast as he could. He could feel a murderous tension coming from the princess.

The firebender covered her mouth with her hand as she still tried to catch her breath. She looked back into her room to see Ty Lee standing awkwardly by the princess's bed. The acrobat trailed her hands down the marble posts.

"Well, I guess I better head to bed myself, since Mai and I are accompanying you tomorrow. Goodnight, Azula." Ty Lee paused to look at Azula before walking past the princess.

Once Ty Lee was out of her sight the princess left her room and headed straight for the throne room. She couldn't get the images of what was about to have happened out of her head. The young princess wasn't sure if she was disappointed or glad that they hadn't kissed. It didn't matted she needed to focus. She stopped in front of the curtain to the throne room.

Azula shook her head to clear her mind. She let out a deep breath. She couldn't let what happened in her room distract her from whatever it was her father needed to say. Tomorrow she had a mission. Stop Zuko. There was no room for error. The princess would not let anything stop her. Letting out one more deep breath, Azula opened the curtain and walked into the throne room.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Slowly Azula opened her eyes and stared at the glaciers as her mind was brought back to the present. A year has passed since her unofficial banishment began. Like her brother had years before, she had traveled to each of the Air Temples. She spent a long time at the Western Air Temple reflecting over the battle that took place just days before Sozin's Comet. It was where Azula knew she began to show signs that she was losing her sanity.

She had almost succeeded in killing her brother that day. It was lucky that he fell onto another zeppelin. While she was proud when she thought Zuko fell to his death, she knew she would have regretted it later and for that she was thankful he was lucky that day. Even though she couldn't admit it to Mai yet, she was also thankful that Mai stopped the guards from cutting the line at the Boiling Rock. She had to silently thank Ty Lee and Zuko as well. If not for them she probably would have killed Mai and Katara.

But now here she was, somewhere near the Southern Water Tribe. Traveling had helped her a bit. She was nowhere near finding herself, but it was closer than she was in the Fire Nation. This time she wasn't on a mission to hunt down her brother or the Avatar, she was to travel the world and she loved it. The past year Azula learned what it was like not to be royal or have the pressure of a nation on her shoulders. She even struck up an unexpected friendship with some of the crewmembers over Pai Sho.

Most of the time they playfully complained how much she was like Iroh. Every time they thought they were winning, she wipes them out with one or two moves. While traveling with most of the crew Zuko had, she got to learn more about the Fire Lord's travels that her brother hadn't shared with her. She had learned that Zuko had gone a little crazy at the beginning of his search. The crew told her stories about the Fire Nation actor who stole from them, the guru Zuko found while at the Eastern Air Temple, and everything in between. Including what happened after they found the Avatar here in the South Pole after nearly three years of traveling.

Lately she had been reflecting on the last few days of her sanity during the war and how everything crumpled in front of her. It was triggered when they passed Kyoshi Island. Azula remembered Zuko telling her how Ty Lee joined the Kyoshi Warriors after the war and how she taught the warriors chi blocking while in prison. The princess had thought to ask the captain in making a stop at Kyoshi Island to check in on the acrobat, but immediately voted against it. Ty Lee and Mai were easily forgiven, but the people of Kyoshi would never forgive Azula and what she did during the war. Defeating their warriors and infiltrated Ba Sing Se incognito as their warriors, and bringing shame to their name. She would never be welcomed.

Azula let out a deep breath as she produced a small fireball. While her fire had gotten slightly bigger, it still wasn't burning blue like before. She was beginning to wonder if it ever would burn blue again. Her drive was no longer to be perfect and not be like Zuko. So what was her drive now? Does she have a drive? During her private training at the palace she never did much, except control small amounts of fire in various ways. The princess hadn't tried fighting or going through the different firebending forms.

Stepping to the center of the ship's deck, she began going through forms that were still second nature to her. The firebender wasn't trying to produce any fire yet. She wanted to reconnect with the feeling. She was once the world's strongest female firebender, she was the only female able to bend lightning and she was only fourteen. Azula no longer had the standards of her father to live up to, but to her the strength and power she had as a firebender nearly ten years ago is what she wanted now. To be as strong as she was then only this time it wasn't to manipulate and terrify others, to be about control. Control over her ability, her life, and her mind.

She moved onto the advance forms, still not producing fire. Every move still had it's perfected focus, snap, tension, and technique. It was as if she hadn't practiced these forms in years. Just as she was about to transition in the last form she felt someone grab her shoulder. Without thinking she spun and around and landed a back fist to her grabber's head. When she finally looked she realized she had knocked out one of the crewmembers.

"Shit."

When Azula kneeled down to check to see if he was breathing as more of the crew showed up and started laughing. Apparently they had warned him not to interrupt her during her firebending practice and this is what he got for not listening. The princess rolled her eyes and ordered them to have the ship's doctor look at him.

Once her mind was cleared she dropped down into a familiar stance, she bent her right knee down into an angled front stance as she brought left hand down and up, she shifted to her left side repeating the same motion. She brought her fingertips together briefly before shooting her right hand out as if to send an attack towards the sea. For the first time in years a huge explosion blasted in Azula's face as she was thrown across the ship's deck.

Hearing the explosion, most of the crew ran back to the deck to check on their princess. Azula sat against the ship's side in shock. The last time that happened were when she was eleven it was only a few days after Zuko's banishment did Ozai began teaching Azula how to lightning bend. It took her a week to finally bend lightning and at least a few months to have control. She wasn't expecting to be perfect after not bending for so long, she didn't expect having it exploded in her face.

"Princess, are you alright?" The captain asked as he kneeled down beside her.

"I'm fine, Captain." Azula slowly stood up and gripped the side of the ship to keep herself balanced, as she suddenly felt dizzy.

"Maybe we should have you see the doctor as well."

"No. I'm fine. A little dizzy is all. I'm going to lie down for a bit. I don't want anyone disturbing me." Azula made eye contact with all the crewmembers before walking below deck to her cabin.

She took her time to walk back to her cabin. Many thoughts and memories were flooding through her mind. Memories of how she treated people and thoughts of if the crew was concerned for her as a person and friendly with her because they wanted to or because her brother had ordered them to travel with her for her unofficial banishment. Azula walked over to the nearest wall and slammed her fists against it as she let out a frustrated scream.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Azula screamed as she slammed her fists against her bedroom wall. She had just came out of her father's war room after she was lectured and berated by her father for her failure again. He had hounded her for hours since her return from the Boiling Rock. She was not given a resting period before she was summoned. The guard had to drag her into the war room, where she stayed bowing to her father.

There was nothing she could have done since her legs were still paralyzed from Ty Lee's chi blocking.

Ozai pointed out Azula's faults and how she was becoming more like Zuko. Several times through her father's belittling she wanted to interrupt him and tell him he was wrong. But she wasn't Zuko. That's what Zuko did three years ago. That's what got her brother scarred and banished.

Adding insult to injury, he pointed out her current position being a consequence for trusting Ty Lee. Zuko's escape was a consequence for trusting Mai. Her trust in Zuko was thrown back in her face during the Day of Black Sun when he sold her out on everything. Azula kept lowering her head with every new insult until she was no longer paralyzed. When Ozai said, 'stand', she stood. He compared her to her mother, her brother, her uncle, her cousin, and said how she was turning out to be like them. Weak.

The entire palace was silent when she was finally dismissed from the war room. She had to listen to her father's voice echo through her head back to her room. Azula slammed her fists against the wall a few more times before sitting down on her bed, hanging her head. She took deep breaths as she covered her face with her hands as the events at the Boiling Rock replayed in her mind.

Everything had gone wrong in every way today. Zuko and his friends weren't supposed to attempt to escape, she and Ty Lee weren't supposed to fight on the gondola, Mai wasn't supposed to save Zuko, Ty Lee wasn't supposed to chi block her.

Nothing was ever supposed to go wrong when she was in charge. Not even the invasion. Everything was perfect. The Invasion plan was foiled when the Fire Nation had already prepared for it and found a way to counter it if they were to search further than the palace. Azula planned out every possibility just like she did with the Boiling Rock it was fool proof. Except Zuko was the wild card that she never factored into her plans.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard knocking at her door. Azula threw her door open, startling the messenger servant. "What?" Azula snapped.

"Uh… your Dai Li agents have found the location of the Avatar. They say he was spotted at the Western Air Temple, along with the stolen zeppelin."

Azula smirked. She had them now. "Tell the rest of the zeppelin fleet to everything ready. We leave the moment they finish."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The princess slowly lowered her hands and leaned her forehead against the wall she had just hit. She took deep breaths to calm herself down. Azula didn't blame Zuko, Mai, or Ty Lee anymore. She hadn't since she recovered. She blamed herself and her parents. Her father turned her into that monster and her mother didn't even try to 'save' her like she did with Zuko.

Suddenly Azula was tossed to the other side of her cabin as a loud painful screech was heard throughout the entire ship. Azula stayed on the ground, clinging to her bed frame until the ship stopped shaking violently. Once the shaking stopped she waited a few moments before standing. She grabbed her swords and ran back up to the deck.

When she arrived she could barely see in front of her. She didn't know how long she was down in her cabin except they weren't even heavy fog when she left the deck. Taking one step there was a crunch under her foot, when she looked it was ice. Azula produced a small fireball to help her see a little better and there were chunks of ice spread around the deck.

"Princess, are you alright?" The Captain asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. What did we do? Hit an ice berg?"

The look on the Captain's face was enough to answer her question before he tried explaining the situation. "The helmsman couldn't see it. The fog is so thick, Princess. We have men trying to repair as much damage as soon as possible, but we need to get to shore quickly. I'm so sorry, we-"

Azula held up her hand to stop the Captain from explaining further. "I'm not blaming anyone Captain. The fact I can barely see in front of me I don't think there was much you and the rest of the crew could have done. How long was I down in the cabin?"

"For several hours, Princess."

The firebender looked around as best she could. "Do you think a messenger hawk can make their way those this fog without trouble?"

"Yes, Princess."

"Good. Send at least two of our messenger hawks to the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. If what my brother told me is true, they should have some waterbenders besides Katara who could possibly help us."

The Captain looked around nervously. Azula recognized this uneasiness he was having. She had placed several ship Captains and their crewmates in that position.

"Please Captain. What is it you wish to say?"

"Princess, I mean no disrespect, but would they help us knowing you are a passenger?"

"This isn't a royal ship, Captain. Therefore they wouldn't know I am on this ship and we will not be telling them that in the messages. We need to send out an S.O.S. whatever happens after we get the ship to safety we'll handle then. The world has a vendetta against me and me alone. Now what can I do to help while we wait for help to arrive?"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jing sat cross-legged as she watch her father's patient sleep. She had just finished reading through her book of various tales and legends of the Four Nations to her and not once has the patient stirred. The young firebender held her breath when the patient groaned and began to stir.

"Dad! I think she's waking up!"

Yu quickly walked into his patient's room and watch as she slightly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times and looked over at Jing. "Easy now. You've been asleep for several days."

The patient mumbled something. "What did she say?" Jing looked at her dad. She leaned in closer to the patient. The patient grabbed Jing's arm and pulled as hard as she could, mumbled once more and loss consciousness again.

"What did she say, Jing?"

The young firebender blinked as she tried figuring it out as well. "Az… Azra? No. Az… Azu… Azura? Maybe it was Azula. I don't know."


	4. Chapter III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: There is a little reference to the Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Lost Adventures.
> 
> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from Prologue still applies.

Yu lightly drummed his hands against his leg as he continued watching his patient sleep. His mind wondered to what she had told Jing. "There's only one Azula as far as I know… Jing said she had gold eyes, another trait of very high-class nobles, she looks like she's in her early twenties, and she really does look like Jing's mother. This is too much to be a coincidence."

The doctor leaned in to his patient enough to whisper. "If you're really Azula, you're in for a surprise when my wife comes home in three weeks. The odds of her going off to that training retreat the Kyoshi Warriors set up for our village and you showing up the same day. The Universe might be telling us something."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The Captain put Azula to work at her request. When she got to the boiler room she was immediately assigned to help weld the extra scrap metal to seal of the damaged areas. It took one firebender to give her a quick lesson of how to weld the metals properly for the best outcome. They didn't mind if it wasn't welded clean and perfectly as long as it was sealed properly.

"This isn't going to hold for long is it?" Azula asked as she was just finishing her side of the welding.

"Not with the water pressure. You can see it's starting to come undone." One of the other firebenders pointed towards his side that was faintly shaking.

"Princess! The Water Tribe replied, they will be glad to help, but…" The Captain dragged off.

"They don't know I'm on the ship."

Every crewmember that was in the boiler room fell silent. Seeing the uncertainty of her crew she tried something that the old her would have never done for them.

"Everyone listen, no matter what happens, we need to get this ship to safety and fixed. If I have to be taken prisoner by them for that to happen then so be it. We all knew that if something like this were to happen we would encounter problems because of me. I caused a lot of harm during the last days of the war especially towards the Earth Kingdom and the Kyoshi Warriors." She looked at every crewmember in the eye. "But I promise I will make sure none of you are involved with whatever the Water Tribe might have in store when they find out I'm on this ship."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"You… You can't treat me like this. You can't treat me like Zuko!" For the first time in her life she had talked back to her father.

"Azula, silence yourself." Ozai replied a little too calmly then Azula was used to hearing from him.

She was beyond furious. She had done everything he had asked without question and took every berating and insult he threw at her all to avoid being treated like her brother. And yet here she was. "But it was my idea to burn everything to the ground! I deserve to be by your side!"

"Azula!"

There it was, the look of disappointment on his face the look that was normally used for Zuko. Clenching her jaw, Azula closed her eyes and lowered her head as her father continued to talk.

"Listen to me. I need you to watch over the homeland, it's a very important job that I can only entrust to you."

The princess opened her eyes in disbelief. After everything she had done, he still trusted her. "Really?"

"And for your loyalty," Ozai turned around to look at Azula. "I've decided to name you the new Fire Lord."

"Fire Lord Azula! It does seem appropriate." Finally she had taken the throne from her brother. However, it wasn't right. Why would her father give the throne to her if he were still alive? "But, what about you?"

Ozai smirked. "Fire Lord Ozai is no more. Just as the World will be reborn," Azula watched as the Fire Sages place custom-made armor over her father's shoulders and a matching helmet on his head. "I shall reborn as the supreme ruler of the World. From this moment on, I will be known as the "Phoenix King"!"

When Ozai raised his arms, new banners were lifted into the air as well as a giant one behind him. Azula's eyes wondered around her surrounding as some of the Imperial Firebenders firebend into two urns on either side of the giant banner only to have two large fire wings to appear from the pillars. All the citizens were on the ground bowing to the new King and out of show, Azula slowly lowered herself until she was bowing. Everyone remained where they were until Ozai and his fleet left the shores of the Royal Plaza.

Azula raised her head and glared at her father's fleet before standing. This wasn't a reward. Her father had taken everything she worked for from her. While she might soon officially hold the title of 'Fire Lord', the title no longer held any meaning – not with her father being the Phoenix King. There was one thing her father was right about. She couldn't trust anyone, not even him. She could only trust herself.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The Fire Nation princess let out a deep breath as she opened her eyes. Her first official appearance to the Southern Water Tribe wasn't exactly the way she had liked. Along with the waterbenders, the Avatar had come to help bring them to the Southern Water Tribe by bending a tsunami to carry the ship. Since everyone in the boiler room was not prepared for that, they weren't holding onto anything when being lifted. Some were injured from being slammed against the wall, and others were burned from touching the boiler.

The Avatar had apologized profusely. He honestly didn't believe that the tsunami would have caused a big shift on the ship. The Water Tribe was less than thrilled when Azula stepped off the gangplank of her ship. They refused to treat her injuries until her crew refused being treated themselves until they treated her as well.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! This is payback from seven years ago, isn't it?" Azula asked as she winced a little more.

Katara glared at Azula and continued gently pulling on Azula's arm to assess any damage. "Not even close. You tried to kill me on multiple occasion."

"I apologized for that before you sucker punched me. Nice right hook by the way." Azula began rubbing her cheek with her right hand. "Guess I did deserve at least that sucker punch from you."

Without warning Katara yanked at Azula's arm really hard. While Azula was trying hard not to scream, the waterbender took pleasure in torturing the firebender in some form. She wasn't purposely torturing Azula, everything she was doing was for the princess's benefit.

"Oh, stop whining. I had to readjust your elbow."

"So… what exactly would you like me to call you?" Azula looked at the ground feeling ashamed for what she called Katara in the past.

The waterbender looked at the princess. Katara noticed from the time she punched Azula until now that she had changed a lot since their first encounter in Omashu. The Azula she originally knew wouldn't have been ashamed of anything.

"Katara." The waterbender finally replied.

Azula looked up and the two exchanged a small smile of understanding. She was going to have to work hard to show the Water Tribe, specifically Katara and Aang that she had changed. That she wasn't the Fire Nation Princess that chased them across Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation.

After a few more pulling, Katara had readjusted Azula's arm and began healing any other injures. "I have a question. Do you know how you became sane again?"

A question that Azula had asked herself many times before and could only make one conclusion. "I know I'm legally documented as a cured mad woman, but I'm serious when I say this, I think Avatar Roku helped me."

There was a slight pause in Katara's waterbending before she continued. "Why do you think it was him?"

"According to my doctor, for three years I was acting like a raging animal. They had to have me chi blocked for both our safety. Then somehow the day after the Summer Solstice she said I calmed down. Not just a little, but completely. Keep in mind, I was always able to feel the seasons changing and when it was the Summer Solstice, come with being a firebender. I remember feeling really warm because it was the longest day of the year and I saw Avatar Roku, he said he could help me if I listened and trusted him. "

The princess huffed. "Took me what felt like a long time before I let myself trust him. I don't remember much after that. It was like I was in a trance. I saw everything I had done and realized how much of a bitch I was to everyone. Then again according to my doctor I fell ill during the last week of my insanity. She said it was a spiritual illness, something where depending which path I took would determine my future. I guess I chose the right one since when I recovered from my illness I was sane again."

"I wonder why Avatar Roku wanted to help you. No offense or anything." Azula shrugged it off as Katara put her arm into a sling.

"Avatar Roku is my great-grandfather from my mother's side." Katara's eyes widened at that news. "I guess Zuko didn't tell you that. He told me a couple of days after I returned to the palace when he got my medical report from my doctor."

Katara smiled and sat down next to Azula. "You have changed. It's nice, but creepy that we're even talking to each other right now. I guess Zuko was right when he sent Aang and I that letter about your unofficial banishment."

"He didn't tell me that he was sending anyone letters about that."

"More like he was giving us the heads up so we wouldn't be too surprised. Why do you think we didn't attack you? We're bitter still because of the war, but not that bitter. I'm not saying this is bad, but being this calm and no signs of even a little bit of what you were before the Agni Kai isn't you."

Azula shook her head. "No, it's not. And that's what this unofficial banishment is for. When Zuko was banished he traveled the world and somewhere done the line he found himself after he lost everything. That's what I need to do to even begin finding myself and there are many loose ends I need to tie up too."

"You won't be doing much traveling for a while. Most of your crew that is a firebender was injured. You've been traveling for a year, time to take a small break."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"She imprisoned my warriors and I, used our uniforms and name to infiltrate Ba Sing Se, and she even conquered Ba Sing Se. She wouldn't have been able to do any of that if she wasn't a firebender." Suki angrily.

"Not to mention all the times she tried to kill us." Sokka added.

"That's the thing though, she didn't kill any of us or anyone during her conquering of Ba Sing Se." Aang noticed everyone looking at him. "I don't count since I was brought back thanks to Katara."

Zuko pulled himself out of his thoughts when it was his turn to state his position. "I know my sister and I… had some of our major differences within this past year and most of our childhood, but it wasn't always like that. Everyone except Katara didn't see the way she was after Katara defeated her.

"I saw my sister from when we were little kids. It was one of the few times when she didn't think showing emotions was a weakness. One of our family's physicians has officially declared her insane and there could possibly be a way for her to recover. I don't think she can ever recover if we have Aang take her bending away. She's a firebender, it's part of her."

"Look, we understand what you're saying, but Azula was dangerous enough when she was sane, now that she's insane no one is safe. Not even herself." Katara replied.

The soon-to-be Fire Lord sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Uncle, what is your opinion in the matter?"

Iroh sipped some of his tea before answering. "While I agree with every point that everyone has made, there is one thing we're all forgetting. Everyone here, the world, and Azula are victims of this hundred-year war. Some suffered more than others." The former general looked around the table.

"Like my nephew said, she wasn't always the way you have come to know her. Though our whole family played some part in making her the way she is, that we are guilty. I was her firebending master before her father started training her. Instead of keeping an eye out for her like I did with Zuko, I ignored what was happening. For that I am one of the reasons she turned out like she did."

"Wouldn't losing her marbles be punishment enough? And why not get that bouncy girl to chi block her?" Toph asked bluntly.

Zuko shook his head. "I don't think we can ask Ty Lee to chi block her every time it starts to wear off. It wouldn't be fair to Ty Lee."

"What if we have something that could block her bending around the clock?" Aang asked. "That way she won't be able to firebend until she recovers and this wouldn't effect Ty Lee or any other chi blocker. Would everyone settle for this arrangement?"

When no one spoke up, Aang assumed it was because no one wanted to start a fight if they voiced their full opinion on Aang's offer. Giving everyone enough time to think it over, the Avatar continued.

"This means when she recovers, she will still have her bending abilities. It's time to take a vote. Voting 'yes' means she keeps her bending and we find a way to chi block her during her recovery, and by voting 'no' I'll take away her ability to bend."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Azula watched Katara teach her students during their daily waterbending lessons. She figured these children were part of the first batch of new Southern Water Tribe waterbenders. This was definitely different than what Zuko described to her when he first arrived here seven years ago when he found the Avatar.

She jumped when something black and white flew in front of her and then wrapped itself around her shoulders. When she turned her head slightly to see what jumped onto her, she came face to face with very big green eyes. "Oh, you're that flying lemur, one of the Avatar's pets."

"His name is Momo." Aang smiled as he walked down the rest of the steps. "This is a bit surprising since he was running away from you last time. Then again so was I."

The princess gave a small smiled and scratched under Momo's chin. "Last time you were shorter than me and your voice wasn't as deep. Now you're Zuko's height. Who's the little girl you've got there?"

"This little princess here is Kya. Say 'hello', Kya." Kya just stared at Azula and Momo as Aang chuckled. "She's almost two, so we'll probably be hearing her talk soon."

"Blue eyes. Good chance she'll be a waterbender since her mother is one, but even some children of benders don't inherit the ability to bend their element. That's what happened to Zuko's swords master. Master Piandao of Shu Jing Island."

Aang lowered Kya so she could walk around a little. "I didn't know Piandao was Zuko's swords master too."

"I don't see why he wouldn't. He used to be in the Fire Nation Army, a good friend of my Uncle's, and he is the best swordsman in the Fire Nation. He trained your friend Sokka, right?"

"Yep. How'd you figure that out? Kya, don't wander too far." Aang went to retrieve his daughter before she walked in on her mother's class.

"Not much to figure out. Sokka didn't have a sword the last time I saw you and your friends in Ba Sing Se and then during the Invasion he has one. Also I made it a point to pay attention to detail and I was able to tell it was Master Piandao's work when I got a close up of his sword at the Boiling Rock." Azula placed her hand over her injured arm and used some firebending to ease the pain with heat.

"Well, you don't have to worry about getting as close up on his sword. He lost it during Sozin's Comet to save our friend's life and his."

"Zuko kind of mentioned that to me in passing, The Battle of Wulong Forest. With the schools reformed without all the propaganda, that battle is definitely in the history books."

Kya reached out to try a pull on Momo's tail, but after having happen to him a lot the past year, the winged lemur moved his tail just barely out of the girl's reach. He moved it back when she retracted her hand and they repeated the process again. Azula lightly bopped her head against Momo's, since her release from the asylum animals had been attracted towards her. The turtle ducks weren't scared of her anymore, and on occasion Izumi's fire ferret took his naps in her room. She smirked realizing that Fire Ferret was probably loving her whole room to himself while she was gone.

"What's on your mind? Last time I saw you smiling was when you attacked us at the Western Air Temple and it wasn't anything like the one you're giving." Aang let Kya go again and the young girl ran towards her mother, who just finished her waterbending class.

Azula shook her head and continued smiling. "Momo just made me think of my niece's pet fire ferret and the turtle ducks back at the palace. The turtle ducks use to fear me because I did terrible stuff to them like toss a whole loaf of bread at them. As for the fire ferret, he loves sleeping wherever he pleases in my bedroom."

Aang sat down on one of the near by benches. "Do you miss the Fire Nation?"

The firebender sat down next to the airbender as they watched Katara play with Kya. "Yes and no. I miss it just because I'm finally admitting to myself that I miss some of the talks Zuko and I have when most of the time it's him doing all the talking. And I miss doing nothing with my niece. That's all we did was nothing. We were perfectly content with that. Gave the kid sometime to unwind from running away from her servants. Kind of reminds me of myself when I was her age."

"Creating havoc since you were two?"

"Naturally."

The two looked at each other and laughed. Never did they think they would be sitting next to each other and talk as if they were old friends. It was a start. She had to start somewhere to find herself and making peace with her brother's friends, the people she was ordered to chase was a very good start.

"So, Avatar how many kids are you planning on having? Still be the last airbender and all."

"Aang. Please, call me, 'Aang'. I'll be content two if our next child is an airbender. We can't have the airbenders die out with me. We need an airbender to keep the world balanced."

Azula eyes began to wander as she started feeling a little uneasy. "I almost did unbalance the world when I killed you in Ba Sing Se. How did you even survive that?"

Giving the princess of mischievous grin he brought his finger up to his lips and shsshed. "That's a secret you'll have to figure out. On a little more serious note, it is kind of a secret because if it got out people would try to go after the source and it will greatly upset some spirits."

"Fair enough. Well, I better go check on my crew and see how they're doing." Azula got up and began to walk away.

"Please send them my apologies again. I really am sorry for all the injuries I caused on you and your crew."

The princess rolled her eyes in a playful way. "Aang, enough. You've been apologizing for three days. We know you're sorry and no one is taking it personal. If anyone in my crew is taking it personal, they'll have to deal with me. My firebending might be weak, but I can still kick all their asses."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"No."

"… No."

Suki casted her vote quickly and Sokka chose to side with Suki. Azula had baited him during the Invasion by using Suki against him. He couldn't forgive her for that since all the events that happened after the eclipse ended could have been avoided if it wasn't for her.

"My vote is yes. She's my sister. I know if she were in my position she would probably abandon me, but I'm not her. I'll do whatever I can to help her recover." Zuko voted.

"She lost her mind. That's enough punishment for me. I vote yes." Toph replied.

That left Katara; Iroh had recused himself from voting since he wanted to only be an advisor for the six teenagers. Since it was Aang who would have to probably take Azula's bending away, he too recused himself from voting.

Katara didn't say anything for a while as she gathered her thoughts together. She looked at Suki and her brother and then at Zuko. "My vote is…"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

After a couple of weeks the ship was repaired to where it was barely visible from the damage the iceberg caused. Instead of standing on the port like she did in the Fire Nation, Azula helped the crew move the cargo that was originally on the ship back on along with the additional cargo the Water Tribe was giving them. Unlike their arrival, there was only one big family that was with them to send them off, the chief's family.

"That should be just about it! A few more cargo that is coming in and we should be ready to go once we get the boiler room and engines going again." The captain announced before walking deeper into the ship as Azula walked back to the port.

"Chief Hakoda, it was a pleasure meeting you… again and under better circumstances. Now if knew Katara was the chief's daughter I wouldn't have called her 'peasant'." Azula raised an eyebrow at the waterbender.

"I believe you called me, 'filthy peasant' to be exact." Katara corrected as she smirked.

"You made it worse for me. Even during war I respect titles. In Ba Sing Se I did refer to the Earth King as 'The Earth King'. Your father is the chief of this tribe, the leader of the tribe. Essentially social rank wise we're equals."

Hakoda laughed while Kanna and Pakku shook their heads. "If this was the Northern Water Tribe, they would really like you for that attitude." Kanna explained. "But since this is the Southern Water Tribe, we do not concern ourselves with family ranking and nobility. The Tribe is our family overall, we look after each other like family and not as subjects."

Pakku continued for his wife. "I would advise you to stay clear of the Northern Water Tribe as well. While they did agree to the declaration of peace at the end of the war, they are still on edge with the Fire Nation."

The princess nodded. "I heard about everything that happened up there. I'll be sure to tell the captain and helmsman."

The three elders bid the princess farewell before leaving her with Aang and his family. Azula turned toward to Katara first.

"So… what about us? Are we good?"

Katara smiled. "We're good, though when you do find yourself, get some of the old Azula back. It's too awkward seeing you like this after everything that happened last time."

Azula chuckled. "I'll see what I can do." She held out her hand. The two girls shook on their informal agreement. "Avat- Aang, thank you. And next time you talk to my great-grandfather, please tell him I said 'thank you' as well."

"You already have, Azula. We're both connected spiritually to him. Yes, I might be able to talk to him face to face, but he's inside you as well. I think if you asked, he could help you again if you need him." He shook her hand too.

As Azula walked up the gangplank Momo flew around her a few times before settling onto her shoulders. "Sorry, little guy. You're not coming with me. You can stay until we pull out of port." She turned back around to get a confirm nod from Aang. "How about a little tour of the ship?"

By the time Azula and Momo reached the deck, the ship had already begun to pull out of the port. "Alright little guy. Time to say good-bye. It was very nice getting to know you as well, Momo."

Momo chattered as if he wanted something from her. She stared at him until it dawned on her she hadn't given him any lychee nuts today like she had the past couple of weeks.

"Here. Take the whole bag. My treat to you."

The flying lemur licked the princess's cheek a few times before flying back to Aang and Katara with his bag of lychee nuts. She leaned against the railing and held up when had as a sign of waving good-bye to the two benders. Azula gave a small smile when they returned the wave before walking away. It was a start. Her toughest challenge would be facing the Kyoshi Warriors and their people. However, she wasn't ready to face them yet. Maybe in another year the princess thought as went to inform the captain and helmsman about the Northern Water Tribe.

"She's beginning to find her inner peace like Zuko did." Aang mentioned as they watched the ship sail further and further away.

"I'm glad I made the right choice that day. She does need firebending to help her. Taking that away from her wouldn't have helped. I can honestly say I've forgiven her as well." Katara looked down at Kya and smiled.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"My vote is… yes. For so long I've hated the Fire Nation because they killed my mother, in time whenever I pictured the Fire Nation was only able to see Zuko's face and later Azula's. And if Zuko thinks she will need her firebending to help her recover, then I trust his judgment. Zuko has proven to me that he could be trusted and I forgave him. I would find it hypocritical if I didn't give Azula the same chance. Once she's recovered of course." Katara finally answered.

Aang smiled. "Alright then, it's settled. Azula will be allowed to keep her firebending. Let's see if we can find someone to make chi blocking bracelets."

"And anklets and a chocker." Toph added in.

Zuko gave a sad smile. He was thankful that his sister will be able to keep her bending, but he really hoped she could recover. Both he and Katara saw Azula at her worst. When she was chained to the ground, defenseless, weak, and broken. They heard her screaming for their mother and repeating to herself that she wasn't a monster. After his coronation tomorrow he was going to pay his father a visit. He was going to find out where Ozai banished their mother.


	5. Chapter IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from Prologue still applies.

"Hey."

Ty Lee looked behind her to see Azula.

"What are you doing out here, Ty Lee? We leave bright and early in the morning."

The acrobat smiled and turned back to look at the ocean. "I know… I couldn't sleep. So much had happened in just a few days here. It started off rough, but I wouldn't want to change it any other way."

Azula sat down on the boulder next to Ty Lee. "I would have wanted to change the first night we were here."

"Why?"

"I talked too much. I didn't want Zuko and Mai to hear what I said about my mother." She looked at the sand. "They don't understand. They never will."

Silence fell between the two girls as they listened to the waves crash along the beach. Ty Lee shivered as a breeze blew by them. "Here." Azula took off her out layer shirt and draped it over the smaller girl's shoulders.

"No, it's alright. You'll get cold." Ty Lee objected.

"Stop arguing with me. It's my job to argue with you remember. Besides you're not a firebender, your natural body heat is much lower than mine." She crossed her arms and tried to act like it wasn't a big deal.

Ty Lee smiled and scooted as close as she possibly could next to Azula before placing her head on the princess's shoulder. "Thank you, Zula."

The princess cleared her throat as she tried not to blush. Even though Ty Lee wouldn't be able to see it since it was dark, but she'd be able to see her aura and feel her body heat rise. She wrapped her arm around the other girl's shoulders. "You're welcome."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Wake up!"

All of a sudden Azula was splashed with a bucket of water. It's been nearly a year since she's been treated like this, then again her 'boss' doesn't care what others think as long as she gets her money. Everyday the Fire Nation princess asked herself how she ended up living this life after leaving her ship and she reminded herself she still owed her 'boss' a lot of money.

"If you don't get up soon, I'll have Nyla paralyze you and I'll turn you into whichever Earth Kingdom town will pay the most to have you hanged or whatever form of torture they decide to put you through, Ferret."

Azula rolled her eyes at her boss's nickname for her since they met at the tavern that 'faithful' day. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'Ferret'? By the way, why do you call me 'Ferret'?"

June laughed as she finished packing her stuff into one of Nyla's saddle pouches. "Listen kid, since you owe me money, so I can call you whatever I want. It is your fault I lost that bet last year."

"How is it my fault when those thugs started the fight?" Azula rolled up her sleeping bag and placed it into one of the other empty saddle pouches.

"Because you're the one who knocked into me and caused my opponent to win the arm wrestle. Not only did you ruin my winning streak, I lost five times the amount I usually make at that tavern. You've come a long way this past year, but you still have ways to go before you pay off your debt." June mounted onto Nyla's saddle. "Now come on. We still have a bit of ways to travel for our next job."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

It had been a few months since she ordered the crew to dropped her off at the Republic City and for them to return back to the Fire Nation. After two years of traveling at sea, like her brother, it was time she traveled on foot and through the Earth Kingdom. It was the captain's suggestion for the princess to begin her journey at the most neutral city in the world. The city her brother and the Aang founded while she was still in the asylum.

The princess spent a few days in Republic City observing how benders and non-benders from the three nations could live together in peace and equally. While she was there she noticed how there were more and more families forming with a parent from a different nation. She saw one sibling being able to bend water and other fire.

That moment Azula felt more lost than ever. She knew the world moved forward, continued, and changed while she was still locked up, but it hadn't sunk in until that moment. The world was indeed changing and for the better. Now the princess had to find her place in this world, a world after the war.

As she traveled through the Earth Kingdom, she avoided Omashu, Ba Sing Se, and Kyoshi Island. A city she renamed, a city she conquered, and an island whose name she smeared. Azula didn't know how her brother survived living in the Earth Kingdom without money, and barely having any food to eat with each passing day. But, if Zuko was able to push through this so could she.

In desperate need for some money, Azula walked into a tavern that Zuko had mentioned to her a couple of times. Her brother mentioned a bounty hunter he once hired to track Aang was a regular patron and had a shirshu. When she saw the shirshu sitting outside the tavern, she knew she was in the right place.

The moment she opened the door, she moved out of the way as a man flew out of the tavern. Azula looked in to make sure no one else was going to be tossed out before walking in. The princess went straight for the bar and sat on one of the stools close to the wall so she could keep an eye on her surrounding. It didn't take her long to spot June. She looked exactly the way Zuko described her.

"What can I get you?"

Azula looked at the bar tender. "A shot of your strongest and a glass a water."

The bar tender gave Azula a look of his own before getting her order. Azula threw her head back as she drank her shot. She slammed her glass down on the counter and coughed. The shot was a lot stronger than she expected it to be from an Earth Kingdom tavern.

"Is that liquor imported from the Fire Nation?"

"Nope, this one is all Earth Kingdom. Want another? It'll be on the house."

"One. Just one more and that'll be all." Azula coughed harder after drinking the second shot as it burned in her throat she laid her head on her wrapped arms.

The bar tender chuckled. "Bet that cleared your sinuses. Here's your water, kid."

She pressed her palms against her eyes as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The princess looked around to see what other people were doing to make money in this tavern, obviously money was made from gambling, but it was mainly made from winning arm wrestling or fighting. Both Azula didn't want to participate in, if there were game of cards, she could easily bluff her way into many wins.

Azula rested her head on her arms again. In that moment a small gang walked into the bar. They glanced around until they spotted her at the bar.

"Well, well, well. Look it here fellows. Fresh meat."

She didn't move.

"Seems like she doesn't know the rules around here. Hey!" One of the members attempted to grab her arm.

She smacked the guy's hand away without looking. Slowly she raised her head and glared at them. "Don't touch me. Also if you're smart enough you'll leave before you end up in the hospital."

The gang laughed amongst themselves, not believing her. "Do you know who we are? We're proud Earth Kingdom soldiers who fought against the Fire Nation and kept them from taking over our villages and our neighboring villages."

Azula smirked and took a long sip of her water. "I don't think you realize who you're talking to. Also you battles aren't exactly that impressive. I doubt you infiltrate and conquered Ba Sing Se since teenagers from the Fire Nation conquered that, specifically and mainly by the Princess of the Fire Nation."

Laughter bellowed amongst the gang again. "The Fire Nation's crazy princess. She might have conquered Ba Sing Se, but she went all wolf-bat shit crazy! Last we heard she was in the loony bin!" They laughed again.

"Then you idiots are very much are out of touch. She has been out of the asylum for the past five years." Azula finished off her glass of water. "She's also wandering around the Earth Kingdom under orders of Fire Lord Zuko."

All laughter suddenly died out among the gang. "The Fire Nation is messed up. A boy should not be ruling. Who the hell let's the craziest bitch in the world loose? I heard she went wolf-bat shit crazy because of mommy issues." The gang began laughing again.

Azula balled her fists as she adjusted herself slowly ready to fight.

"We're not worried that she's loose. We could take her! Her and her whole family!"

The laughter died again as the talker of the gang went flying into the nearest table. The rest of the members looked back at Azula.

She cracked her knuckles and then tilted her head until her neck cracked on both sides. "That's one down. That leaves the four of you. Still think you can take me and my family?" Her golden eyes gleamed as she stepped into the lighting just right.

"Shit! It's her! Get her!"

The remaining for members charged at her at once. She grabbed her stool and tossed it at them. Using the little distraction time she had, she got behind one of the tables and kicked it their direction, knocking another guy to the ground to catch his breath.

Cheering could be heard through out the bar as the other patrons saw the fight break out. Some began placing bets. One of the members began throwing a roundhouse at her head. Azula spun around and hooked her leg around the guy's leg and smacked him hard on the ear, popping his eardrum.

"Is that all you go-" a chunk of earth slammed into her stomach as she was thrown back. Losing her balance she fell onto June.

"Hey! Watch i-" June's hand was slammed to the table by her opponent.

"I win!" Pissed off, June punched her opponent in the nose and knocking him out.

Before Azula could charge back into fighting the small gang, June had grabbed her by the front of her shirt. "Do you realize what you had just cost me, kid?"

"No, and there isn't time for that." Grapping hold of the bounty hunter's arms, Azula used her for balance as she jumped up and kicked another thug in the face. She didn't have a chance to land on the ground when June pulled her by the front of her shirt again.

"You will pay me back in all that money I lost because of you."

June let go of Azula to grab the last gang member and slam his face to the table. She grabbed her glass and smashed it against the back of his head. "There. Your fight is over. Now you're mine."

Azula winced as she felt a sharp pain on her hand. Before she could fight back there was another sharp pain on her other hand. She couldn't feel her hands at all. They were paralyzed. "What the…?"

The bounty hunter held up a needle and pushed Azula towards the door. "Nyla. Attack."

A sharp pain struck the front of her before her body completely fell to the ground. "That needle had shirshu venom on it. Comes in handy. Now that I know you won't be able to resist me." June tied Azula up for safe measure and secured her onto Nyla's back. "I'm going to work you to the bone until you pay me back."

True to her word, June worked her hard. She tried running away a few times, but she was easily caught. Somewhere along the line the two grew to work well with each other when it came to catching bounties.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Here you go! One wanted man for the Police of Republic City." June kicked her capture in the rear towards the police.

"Normally we don't hire bounty hunters to do the job for us. We don't know how to pay you." The Deputy Chief of Police replied a little nervously.

"We'll take the sword." June and the police officers looked at Azula. "That'll be our payment. The sword that man was carrying. We'll take it."

"I'm sorry miss, but that is in police custody as evidence n-" The Deputy swallowed his last word when Azula crossed her arms and stood toe to toe with him.

"Either we get the sword or I let that bounty go and you can have fun trying to capture him yourself."

The Deputy gulped as he tried to intimidate her with his height. "Miss, we can not allow you to take the sword w- eep."

"You're intimidation tactics aren't going to phase me, Deputy. I once conquered Ba Sing Se and controlled the Dai Li, who were feared by most of the city because of what they do to citizens who don't follow their laws.

"What would my brother and Avatar Aang think when they find out when the Deputy Chief of Police and the police force are not doing their jobs properly in protecting the city that was created for the purpose of unity between all the nations?"

Azula stared the Deputy Chief of Police down like she had many years before to Long Feng. Game was set and match. She had won. The Deputy grumbled before ordering one of his cops to retrieve the sword for Azula.

"Take the sword and get out of my city." He shoved the sheathed sword into Azula's chest and stomped away.

The princess politely bowed to the Deputy Chief of Police to add a little more salt to wound. June sighed. This was exactly why she handled the payment negotiations with their bounties and Azula doesn't say anything. However, she had to give props to the princess for her intimidation abilities.

"Congratulations, Ferret. You finally paid off your debt. Though I still don't understand why you chased after that guy in the forest all for a sword."

Azula re-sheathed her newly acquired sword, "It belongs to my friend's brother. I hope to one day return it to him. But, according to his sister he lives in the one place of the few places I'm definitely not welcomed."

"So what? Yeah, you conquered Ba Sing Se and a good amount of the Earth Kingdom still hates you, what is so bad about this place."

"Because it's Kyoshi Island. Ba Sing Se would try to charge me with war crimes, but it will never stick since I did what my Fire Lord ordered. But, Kyoshi Island… it's because I used their warrior's uniforms and name I was able to infiltrate Ba Sing Se, and they will never forgive me."

"Oh please, I thought at least being a bounty hunter this past year would teach you something. Don't give a shit about what others think of you. You and your brother are definitely related with how many times I've seen you pout. Prince and Princess Pouty."

Azula glared at June. "That's because I was a spoiled royal bitch, who still has family and trust issues. And to top it all off, I'm officially documented as a recovered mad woman."

"So?"

"What do you mean 'so'?"

"You're dreading too much on the past, Ferret. Move on with your life. Be who you are now. Make people know and remember you now, not what you were during the war. I never saw you during the war and only hear about what you did through you. There is a lot more to you, kid. Here!"

June tossed a small sack of money towards her. "That should be able to hold you for a while. It's all gold pieces. Got any plans now that you don't have to slave away for me?"

The princess looked down up at the sky. "I'm going to head south. Get as close as I can to Kyoshi Island. It's like you said I have to make them see me for who I am now and not who I was. By staying in a town that trades with Kyoshi Island I should run into a few of them at some point and hopefully work something out with them."

The bounty hunter smiled and extended her hand out to Azula. "Well, good luck to you, Ferret."

Azula shook June's hand. "Thank you and you too, June."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The first thing Azula did was purchase an ostrich horse and some warmer clothes. The seasons were changing and snow had already begun to fall upon Republic City. She had just finished strapping on the saddlebags when she saw a couple of kids chasing an animal to an alley way laughing. Azula asked the clerk to a near by store to watch her ostrich horse as she went to check on what was happening. She recognized what was about to happen all because of the malicious grin on those kids' faces as they chased after that animal. She used to give that same grin when she was about to throw a whole loathe of bread at the turtle ducks when she was a kid.

When she entered the alleyway she saw one of the kid toss rocks at the animal and the other one throw fireballs at it. Before the flame could hit the animal, Azula firebended the flame away. The two kids looked at each other confused until they turned and saw Azula. "Get away from the animal."

The kids screamed and ran away. She glared at them as they ran off before walking over to the animal. Her eyebrows rose when she realized it was a fire ferret. Apparently the kids had already burned the poor animal and were on the defense against her. Azula knelt down and held her hand out to the fire ferret.

"Hey, little guy or girl. It's alright I won't hurt you." The fire ferret hissed at her and tried scratching her hand. She caught the fire ferret's paw and pulled the animal towards her. The ferret tried fighting her, but she grabbed it by the scruff and held it close to her.

Azula walked out of the alley back to the store and purchased some gauze and ointments for the ferret. "Come on. Stay still. It's going to hurt a little." She rubbed the ointment on the ferret's burn causing the animal to yowl. "I know it hurts, but it's going to make you better." The princess and to gently step on the ferret's tail to keep the animal in place as she wrapped the gauze around it's body. "See? That's it. No more pain, at least for now."

When Azula took her foot off the fire ferret's tail, it scurried away from her and became defensive again as it growled at her. "Fine if you're going to be that way. It's best you know this now before judging to run off or stay." She held out her hand and produced a small ball of fire. The fire ferret hissed at her. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Back where I'm from my niece owns a fire ferret and we get along just fine. Though he does tend to do what he wants."

The fire ferret relaxed a little and walked a little closer to her. When Azula looked at the ferret, it coward and hissed at Azula until she looked away. Once the princess looked away did the ferret walked a little closer. She kept an eye on the ferret from her peripheral vision until it was licking her hand.

"Alright. So, it looks like the three of us are traveling south together." She picked up the fire ferret. "Ah. You're a girl. I guess Kai' would be a fine name for you. Do you want a name too?" The ostrich horse tilted its head before shaking its head. "Didn't think so."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jing sat at the dining table skimming through her book while Yu finished making their dinner. "Is she ever going to wake up?"

Yu looked away from the stew towards his daughter. "She will when she's ready. We don't know what she has been through, but she definitely exhausted herself. Her body needs rest. She won't be at hundred percent when she wakes up either, after sleeping for so long she'll still feel drowsy."

The two looked at their porch door as they heard scratching noise against the wood. Yu slowly opened the door and looked down only to see something red run into the house. "Daddy! It's a fire ferret!" Jing exclaimed.

The fire ferret sniffed around the kitchen floor before running down the hallway and began sniffing the floor there until it was at the patient's door and it began scratching the door viciously.

"Daddy, do you think that fire ferret belongs to her?"

Sighing in defeat, Yu opened the door and the fire ferret bolted into the room until it was sitting on top of his patient's chest, licking her face. Slowly the patient began to stir. Jing ran into the room to see if the woman was indeed going to wake up.

She groaned and squeezed her eyes tightly before slowly opening her eyes. She kept feeling the licking on her cheeks as her vision came into focus. The blurry red finally shaped into the fire ferret. The woman smiled at the animal. "Hey, Kai."

Kai began chatting to her and rubber its face against her cheek. She smiled and scratched the back of the ferret's head. She looked around and saw Jing and Yu watching over her.

"Hi!" Jing said ecstatically.

The woman just nodded towards the young girl as she sat up. "Where am I?"

Yu stepped forward to answer her question. "You're at our home." He gestured towards himself and his daughter. "I'm the resident doctor and we've been looking after you for the past week while you've been asleep, Azula."

Her eyes widened in fear. "How… How do you know my name?"

Jing jumped up onto the foot of Azula's bed, "Because you told us when you kind of woke up a couple of days ago! So, you're Azula and your fire ferret is Kai. I'm Jing! My daddy's name is Yu. My mommy's name is-"

"Jing! What did I tell you about overwhelming my patient?" Yu interrupted his daughter.

"Oops. Sorry, daddy. Should I go check up on our dinner?"

"Yes, that would be nice, honey."

Azula watched as the little girl ran out of the room. "She's… a bundle of energy."

Yu chuckled as he pulled a chair up and sat down. "Yes, she is. Sometimes I think some of that energy comes from her mother's side of the family. If you don't mind I'd like to run some check ups since you're up now."

"Where is your wife? In the kitchen working on dinner?" Azula held her arm out for Yu.

"No." He pressed two fingers on the pulse of Azula's wrist as he turned over a minute glass. The two remained quiet as he counted each beat. "She's at a special training retreat with most of the other women of the village on Kyoshi Island."

The princess blinked and shook her head to make sure she heard her doctor correctly. "Kyoshi Island? How far are we from Kyoshi Island?"

He finished jotting down his notes before he began unwrapping the bandages on Azula's arm. "About an hour boat ride from the island. We're very close to Chin Village, but we need to avoid them since they… are a bit crazy."

"So… when will I be meeting your wife?"

Yu wrapped new bandages around her arm. Before leaning back on his chair. "In three weeks. The training is a month long. I'm going to go check on Jing and dinner. I'll have my daughter bring some of the stew in here for you to eat and something for your little friend too."

Azula nodded as she scratched the back of Kai's ears. She let out a deep breath. An hour away. An hour away from Kyoshi Island. An hour away from Ty Lee.


	6. Chapter V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from Prologue still applies.

"It's time for a talk."

Azula became worried. She had never heard her mother speak to her that way before. Her mother grabbed her arm and led her out of Zuko's room. Ursa forcefully sat Azula down on her daughter's bed before sitting.

"Now, I'll ask you again, you're father would never do what to Zuko?"

"I told you, I don't know." She looked away, not wanting to have this talk.

Ursa's eyes narrowed. She grabbed Azula's chin and turned her daughter's head. "Look at me. Look at me, Azula."

Slowly Azula looked up and stared at her mother. She started taking deep breaths to keep herself from tearing up. She knew she was really in trouble now.

"What is your father going to do to Zuko?"

Azula bit her lip before replying. "Dad is going to kill Zuko. Grandpa order him to… as punishment."

"What?" Ursa let go of her daughter's chin. "Why would Fire Lord Azula say such a thing?"

"Because dad requested to have uncle's birthright revoked." Azula looked away again. "Grandfather was furious that dad suggested grandfather betrays uncle right after the loss of his own son. Grandfather said dad needed to know the pain of losing his first born son by sacrificing Zuko."

Ursa quickly stood up and began walking out of Azula's room.

"Where are you going? Dad wouldn't do that. I was just teasing Zuko."

Her mother didn't turn around. "At this point I wouldn't doubt your father. He's different than when I married him. It's as if he's a monster… and you're starting to turn into one more and more."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

That was nearly fifteen years ago. The last time Azula saw her mother. Slowly Azula opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she reflected on her dream. It had been a long time since Azula dreamed of that night. Zuko later confirmed it for her that their father was planning on murdering him if their mother hadn't intervened.

Azula shook her head and sat up. "She would have never done that for me. She wouldn't want to save me… a monster."

"Of course I would have saved you." Azula turned towards the door and saw her mother standing there. "You are my child as well and I will always protect my children."

"No…" She grabbed her head and looked away. "You're not real. You're just a hallucination."

"I'm sorry you were not able to become Fire Lord." Her mother continued.

"Shut up." Azula muttered.

"You would have been so beautiful in your Fire Lord robes."

"Shut up."

"I visited you at the hospital."

"No! You're not real, so shut up!" Azula yelled.

When no reply came from her mother, she looked over at the door and saw that the hallucination was gone. She began to cry. After being released from the asylum she thought she'd never hallucinate again. She wiped her tears away and took a few deep breaths before getting out of bed.

The sun wasn't fully up yet, which surprised her to see Yu already up and drinking tea. Yu didn't say anything to her and neither did she to him. She pointed to the chair across from him silently asking if she could sit there. He nodded as he held up an empty teacup towards her. Azula took it and waited for Yu to pour the tea for her. They sat in silence.

As Yu was pouring him a second cup he quickly glanced at Azula and noted how weary she looked. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Azula snapped out of her trance. "About what?"

"The yelling." Yu brought his cup up to his face to feel the warmth of the steam as he waited for Azula's response.

"Just a nightmare." Azula quickly brushed off.

Yu nodded and took a sip of his tea. "I really don't mean to sound like I'm prying, however, you are still my patient and I'm concerned for your well being. But I will not push if you don't want to talk. Now what are you going to do once you've fully recovered?"

"I don't know." She leaned back in her chair. "My only goal since leaving Republic City was to travel to a town that trades with Kyoshi Island. And I'm here."

"You can stay here if you want. We have a spare bedroom that you can have. You can rent it if you work as my assistant for me." Yu offered. He watched as Azula's eyes narrowed as she thought of his offer. "And… it would be great if you could train my daughter. Jing is a firebender and is the only on in the village. She doesn't have a master and she wants you to train her."

"Pass." Azula closed her eyes. "I'm not a teacher and I'm not the same firebender that I was during the war. Besides, what would your wife say when she comes home from that special training? Not exactly a good idea having a stranger in your house. Let alone a young woman." She opened her eyes and gave a small smile to show that she was joking about the last statement.

The doctor chuckled. "If you were any other person she would freak out. But I know she won't have a problem with the Fire Nation princess being her guest. My wife, Jing's mother, is originally from the Fire nation. So… she knows you."

"Why?" Azula asked. "Why would you open your doors for me, ask me to be your assistant, and want me to teach your daughter if you know who I am?" She didn't wait for him to respond. "You know what I've done, you know what happened to me, and you know that many parts of the Earth Kingdom wants my head. Why?"

Yu took a deep breath. "With every dark side there is a light side." He looked straight into Azula's eyes. "And while I am aware of who you are and what you did, right now I see a young woman trying to find her place in the world. Right now she doesn't have a plan since her only goal was to come to our village in order to be near Kyoshi Island. That young woman needs a roof over her head, a source of food, and something to do to keep herself from becoming bored in this small village."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm very optimistic and I always see the good in others. And yes, people have take advantage of that before, but at least I tried."

Azula stared at Yu as his words sunk in. She chuckled and sipped her tea. "You kind of remind me of my brother just now."

Yu's smile grew. "I'll take that as a major compliment if I'm being compared to the Fire Lord."

"Ever since the war ended my brother has been more optimistic. He works hard to prove to the world that the Fire Nation is changing for the better and it's thanks to him I was given a second chance." She started playing with her cup. "He believed in me and wanted to help me recover. He could have easily let me rot in prison and not look for doctors and healers, but he didn't. It wasn't until I returned to the palace a few years ago did I realize how lucky I am to have him as my brother. To be compared to him is indeed a major compliment."

Before Yu could respond, the soft pattering of feet was heard coming down the hall. Jing tiredly walked in the kitchen and automatically sat in the seat next to Azula.

"Morning." The girl greeted while yawning.

"Good morning, Jing." Yu replied. "Are you hungry?"

Jing nodded as she let out another yawn. Yu got up to start cooking breakfast. He tilted his head slightly towards the tale to listen in on what his daughter might say to their guest. It was quiet except for Jing's occasional yawning. Azula interlaced her fingers and leaned into her hands as she closed her eyes. She thought about Yu's offer some more and was beginning to think it was a good deal. The princes opened her eyes when she heard Jing yawn for the umpteenth time.

"I'm starting to think you're not a firebender with all the yawning you're doing."

"What do you mean?" Jing was worried. Even though she just met Azula, she really wanted the older firebender's approval. "It's morning, who isn't tired in the mornings?"

"Firebenders. I thought you would know since you are a firebender." Azula looked over at the girl. She wanted to see Jing's reactions. She silently laughed when Jing pouted and couldn't answer her. When she saw the girl was about to cry, Azula began talking to her as if she was talking to her niece. "Look I'm only teasing you. I didn't expect you to know the answer. Most kids your age don't unless you're from the Fire Nation capital."

She paused as Jing began sniffling as the girl tried not to cry. "Alright kid. Stop crying, if you're not hurt there is not point in you crying. You don't have a firebending master to teach you about firebending, so don't feel bad if you don't know the answer. You're not dumb, you just don't know." Azula shifted in her chair in order to have Jing's full attention. "Your father tells me that you want me to be your firebending master. If you really want to be my student the first thing you need to know is that firebenders rise with the sun."

"Why?"

Azula wiped away Jing's tears. "Because we are Agni's children. Agni is the Sun spirit who gives us the strength to bend our fire. The least we could do is rise with him and greet him."

"Does that mean we have to go to bed when the sun sets?"

Azula chuckled. "No, we don't. But haven't you noticed how your firebending feels different throughout the day?"

When Jing's eyes widened, she knew the girl's answer.

"That is because of Agni. When he is at his highest point in the day that is when we are the strongest. This is a small sample of what your training with me will be like. There is more to firebending than knowing the various forms and techniques. It's more than something you do physically. There is a spiritual side to bending as well. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not and will never be a true firebending master."

Jing laughed. "I guess it's a good thing I have the Fire Nation princess taking me under her wing, huh?"

"Yes, now why don't you get washed up. After breakfast we'll begin your firebending training."

The young firebender ran out the kitchen with the bundle of energy Azula knew she had. Once Jing was out of earshot, Yu placed the breakfast on the table and began talking to Azula again. "I guess you're taking me up on my offer."

"I guess I am. But I know absolutely nothing about medicine."

"That's alright. It'll be a learning process for you. With medicine it never hurts to have an extra pair of hands to help me out." Yu sat down and began eating his breakfast.

Azula nodded in understanding. "What I told Jing… about there being a spiritual side to bending… I would have never learned that if my firebending masters weren't non-benders."

"You were taught by non-benders?" Yu would have never guessed that to be true. "They must have been good if they were allowed to teach you."

Azula nodded. "They were. And now they're two more people to my list of those I wronged."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Unable to sleep, Azula snuck out of her room and went straight to the turtle duck pond. This time last night her mother disappeared. Zuko had told her their mother had said goodbye to him, but not her. She felt the blade of her mother's last words to her twist in her gut.

She didn't know how long she was sitting out there, but when a pair of arms in pink wrapped around her, she began to cry. It was the first time she cried since everything happened. And Ty Lee held her the whole time.


	7. Chapter VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from Prologue still applies.

Jing groaned as she turned onto her back. Training under Azula has been a lot of work, but Jing was having fun learning more about firebending. Except for standing in knee high water working on her breathing training.

"I went overboard with her training, didn't I?" Azula asked Yu as he checked his daughter's temperature.

"A little. I may not be a firebender, but having to stand in the water during winter might have been too excessive for her level, right, Jing?" Yu smiled down at his daughter.

The young firebender groaned and pulled her covers up to her chin. Yu chuckled again before leaving the teacher and pupil to finish making dinner. Azula grabbed the chair from Jing's desk area to sit by the bed.

"Sorry about this kid, I really did not try to have you fall ill. But now you understand the importance of breathing, right?" Both Jing and Azula laughed. "For the record you could always object if something I say sounds unreasonable."

"But you're a bit scary when someone objects you. There's a reason Dad won't let you buy the groceries anymore."

"That lady was overcharging and then tried to pass it for poor harvesting season. If harvesting was so poor in your village this year, she wouldn't have had barrels of berries behind her stand."

"See. You just got a little scary just now. Are you always so angry and uptight?"

Azula crossed her arms and let out a forceful deep breath, refusing to answer Jing. The young firebender giggled before having a coughing fit. Jing felt Azula rubbing her back as she tried to stop coughing, which only made her cough harder. When the coughing ceased Jing was handed a glass of water.

"I miss my mom." Jing mumbled as she leaned into Azula's side subconsciously.

The princess was caught off guard by what Jing had said and because the girl was leaning against her seeking comfort. There were only a few people she allowed to do this and even then it seldom happened. Slowly Azula wrapped her arms around the girl and held her.

"I know what you mean." She felt Jing shift so the young firebender was looking at her. "When I was about your age my mother left… well, banished actually. Not the point though… she had been gone for about a month and I caught a nasty case of hay fever. No matter how sincere or adamant some of the servants were about me taking the medicine, I didn't want them to give it to me. I just wanted my mother."

Jing wrapped her arms around her teacher's waist and gently squeezed. She wanted Azula to continue. "What did your mother do when you were sick?"

A small smile tugged at Azula's lips as she reencountered a memory. "There's this place in the Fire Nation called 'Ember Island'. Ember Island is this vacation resort for those in Caldera City and high-ranking officers. I was five and caught a cold, so I couldn't go to the beach to play with my brother and cousin. My mother stayed with me the whole time. Originally that year we were supposed to go to the theatre to see a played based on one of her favorite stories, but because I was sick we couldn't go. Instead she bought the book and read it to me over and over again to the point it became one of my favorite stories too." Azula gave a small sad chuckle. "The next year the theatre put on the play again after high demand, and we went to see it."

"AND?" Jing asked loudly.

"'And' what?"

"How was it?"

"It sucked. The Ember Island Players butchered the story! And my mother made us see it every year because she loved it!"

"What was the story and play?"

"'Love Amongst the Dragons'. It's a popular Fire Nation tale."

Jing shot up. "That's my mommy's favorite story too!" She winced as she felt dizzy and a lot of pressure in her head from sitting up too fast. "She told me she used to see the play every year when she lived in the Fire nation."

Azula slowly helped lower Jing to the bed as Jing continued talking. "My mommy even read me that story when I was sick, but not often. She always seemed so sad when she saw it in my book." Jing let out a yawn. "I wonder if our mommies knew each other."

"Who knows kid… may be they did." Azula replied with an empty voice. "I'll bring you dinner when it's ready. Rest for now."

"Azula?"

The princess stopped at the doorway and turned back to her student. "Yes?"

Jing pulled the covers up to her chin nervously. "Will you read me 'Love Amongst the Dragons' after dinner?"

Azula's face softened. "Are you sure you want me to read it? That's something you and your mother do."

"I don't know… you remind me of her a lot, but my mommy is nicer than you."

"Watch it, kid." Azula quickly countered in a playful way. "Fine, I'll read it to you. For now rest."

She walked to her room and fell face first onto her bed, being very un-lady like. Slowly she turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling as an uneasy feeling began to settle in her stomach. Azula did not believe in coincidences; all she needed was more information to confirm her feelings.

After Ursa's disappearance, Azula had stared at maps of the Fire nation and the Earth Kingdom trying to figure out where her mother was banished. She had teased Zuko that their mother could have been on one of the many smaller islands of the Fire Nation and had just been banished from the main land. But both siblings knew she wasn't in the Fire nation. They knew she was somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Ursa was a needle in the haystack here.

Zuko had told her how he went to their father to try and find their mother. His first year as Fire Lord was a mess and almost caused another war to break out. All because he lacked the confidence and kept going back to their father and in the end their father didn't tell Zuko the whereabouts of their mother. He had asked Azula if she would try and get the information out of him, but she refused. She didn't want to see Ozai ever again.

While traveling in the Earth Kingdom during the war, she had given herself many false hopes that possibly she might have found Ursa in one of the Fire Nation colonies. There were times while she was with June she thought of accidentally finding her mother. No luck.

Azula slowly let out the breath she was holding. "Shit…" She mumbled as she sat up. "The kid is my sister. The kid… is my sister. My mother is on Kyoshi Island. Ty Lee has to know it's her. But… what if I am wrong and our mothers are just very similar? No, there are too many similarities between her mother and mine. My mother has to be Jing's mother too." Upon hearing the clattering of dishes, Azula thought now was a good time as any to ask Yu more about his wife.

"Oh hey! How is Jing doing?" Yu asked when he saw Azula walk in.

"She's resting until dinner is ready. Jing also said something that has me wondering. She said that her mother, your wife, saw the Ember Island Players when she lived in the Fire Nation."

Yu placed a couple of bowls on a tray. "From what I can recall she did mention that a few times to us. Is there something significant about them?"

"Besides the fact they can't act or tell a story properly, the Ember Island Players only perform on Ember Island. That island is only opened to the noble families of Caldera City and high-ranking officers. So, is your wife from a noble family and what is her name?" Azula clenched her jaw as she tried to remain calm. She could feel her heart beating hard against her chest.

"She is from a noble family. I think she told me that her father worked as one of Fire Lord Azulon's officials." He passed the tray to Azula. "And her name… I'll let Jing tell you."

Azula gave Yu a look before taking the tray from him. When she opened the door to Jing's room Kai ran in and jumped on the young firebender's bed. "Did you even sleep?"

Jing groaned and rolled onto her side. "My face hurts from all the pressure. Also I'm not hungry."

"You don't have a choice. You need to eat to get better, besides your father made something that would go easy on your stomach." She handed a bowl to Jing. "Be careful its-"

The elder firebender tossed up her hand when Jing spit her soup back into her bowl. "It's hot!"

"Of course it's hot! It's soup. While there maybe a chance for you to breath fire, you can still burn your tongue." She sat down on the chair and sipped her soup. "I have a question for you regarding your mother."

"What about her?"

"Do you know when she left the Fire Nation?"

"Uh…" Jing took a sip of her soup as she thought of the question. "I think fifteen years ago."

Quickly Azula calculated how old she was fifteen years ago. It fit when her mother was banished. She was nine fifteen years ago. "You never did tell me what her name was."

The young girl's eyes lit up. "My mom's name is amazing. The characters for her name are what make it amazing! Hand me my pencil and paper please." Azula grabbed the items from the desk and hand it to Jing. "I think my mommy has the best name ever!"

Azula's eyes widened when she saw the name written out. Jing gave the paper to her teacher. "That is an amazing name…"

Jing beamed and slowly nodded to keep herself from going dizzy again. "Would you mind if you started reading 'Love Amongst the Dragons'?"

"Sure…" She grabbed the book from the desk and laid it on her lap. Azula sighed as she briefly remembered the first time Ursa read this to her. "Long ago-"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Azula browsed through the rest of the Fire Nation section of the book as she waited for Jing to return to her room. One story caught her eye. It was about Long and Fenghuang, the dragon and phoenix of the Fire Nation's mythology. She gently slid her fingers down the image of Fenghuang.

She let out a small cynical huff at the memory of her father declaring himself the Phoenix King. "You were never a phoenix nor a dragon." Azula flipped to the end of the story and red the last sentence. "When the dragon soars and the phoenix dances, the people will enjoy happiness for years, bringing peace and tranquility to all under heaven."

"Oh! That's the story about Long and Fenghuang! It's my favorite story if we don't count 'Love Amongst the Dragons.'" Jing exclaimed as she climbed back to bed. "I highly recommend reading it, Azula!"

"One of these days I'll read it, but now it's time for bed. Don't worry I won't wake you tomorrow morning. Get lots of rest to get better sooner." Azula placed her hand on Jing's head and then removed it. "Looks like Kai is going to be staying with you tonight."

The fire ferret was already curled up in a ball sleeping near Jing's pillow. Bidding 'good night' to each other, Azula returned to her room. She removed her hand from her pocket, still balled in a very tight fist clenching the paper with Jing's mother's name on it. Azula sat on the edge of her bed as she stared at the name.

"Lan Long. Blue Fire. Blue Dragon's Fire. Why would she pick an alias like that?"

"You know why I picked it."

Azula sighed as she closed her eyes and lowered her head. The hallucination of her mother was back. "But you left long before I started firebending blue fire and you've been going by this since you arrived here."

"You also know I didn't choose that alias because of your firebending abilities."

The princess slowly lifted her head to look at her mother's hallucination. "You chose that because it's close to my name. But why?"

Ursa gave her daughter a gentle smile. "I told you, Azula. I love you. Truly, I do."

Like ten years ago, Azula slowly lowered herself to the ground and cried.


	8. Chapter VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also since this was story began before Korra Book 2 was released, Kya is the oldest Kataang child in this story and Bumi is the middle child.
> 
> WARNING: This chapter mentions of some sensitive topics, but does not go into too much detail.
> 
> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from Prologue still applies.

Zuko sighed as he gently grabbed Azula's hand. The family physician had her heavily sedated to keep her from hurting herself or others. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you. With everything you've done to me I could be just as cruel and leave you the way you are, but I'm not. I don't want us to be like dad and Uncle Iroh. I admit there are a lot of things I lack in that could use your help. We do make a great team when we're not fighting as well. You're going to get help, I'll make sure of it."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ty Lee bit her bottom lip. She struggled with herself to enter the room. She didn't want to interrupt Zuko while he talked to Azula and second she was afraid to see what have become of the princess. She couldn't help, but blame herself for what happened to Azula.

"She brought this on herself."

"Mai!"

"It's karma, Ty Lee. She did a lot of cruel things and now she's paying for it." Mai glared into the room.

"But she doesn't deserve this, Mai. Even this is too cruel... And it's my fault. It's my fault she's like this."

Mai gripped Ty Lee's shoulders. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!" Ty Lee exclaimed harshly. She looked into the room to make sure her outburst didn't bother Zuko. The acrobat pulled herself and Mai away from the doorway. "There was something wrong with her."

"Yeah, she tried killing Zuko and me that day."

Ty Lee shook her head. "No, it's much deeper than that. She tried to kill you and Zuko because she was backed into a corner. The night before we went to the Boiling Rock she was hurt and struggling. I got her to open up to me, she confided in me. You and I both know that their father told them trust was a weakness. I told her that it was strength and that she was strong because she did trust me."

"And the next day you betrayed her."

"I know! But I did it to protect her from herself! She was going to kill you and I couldn't let her do that. She's not a murderer and I couldn't stand by and let her become one." Ty Lee covered her face with her hands as she began to cry. "It's ironic. You fell for the prince and I..." She let out a small laugh and gave a sad smile. "I just want her to be okay."

"Then why are you running away?"

"I'm not running away."

"Yes, you are. You're running away to Kyoshi Island."

Ty Lee bit her lip as she couldn't come up with a response. Mai continued. "Not only are you running away, but you're becoming part of a matched set again. Isn't that why you ran away to the circus to begin with?"

"More like let go." Ty Lee mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

The acrobat leaned against the doorway and looked at Azula. "The night I left the Fire Nation started out with me running away, but Azula stopped me."

"How could she have stopped you? You did ran away."

"I told you it started out with me running away, but it changed to me being let go to run. I was at the edge of Caldera before we had to climb the edge to leave the city. I didn't know she was there until I got to the stairs. She somehow knew I was running away that night; she always knew something was going to change."

She bit her lip before smiling sadly at Azula. "She asked me why I was running away. She tried telling me reasons why I shouldn't leave. I kept brushing off her reasons and dodging her questions. When I tried leaving again she grabbed my wrist. It wasn't just any grip... she had a tight grip, but not enough to hurt me. Enough to get my attention. She was already hurt and was beginning to struggle. Her mom disappeared three years ago and Zuko had been banished for a year. If it wasn't for us, she would have been alone. She needed us... she needed me."

Mai huffed. "She never needed anyone, but herself. She didn't really need us during the war. She wanted people she could control."

"You didn't originally think that way, Mai! You were relieved that Azula asked you to join her. You wanted anything that could have gotten you out of Omashu. You only began resenting Azula when we returned to the Fire Nation after conquering Ba Sing Se. May I remind you that Azula hooked you and Zuko up? And remember how she slipped on Ember Island about her mother? She did need us." Ty Lee straightened her back and stood tall. "The night I ran away, after Azula grabbed me, I could see in her eyes and aura that she was begging me not to go.

"But I couldn't bare staying with my family any longer. I really didn't have my own name. No one could tell my sisters and I apart until I met Azula. Even when my sisters were trying to impersonate me she knew they weren't me. But that wasn't enough. I needed to break away even more. I told her that and she looked so broken. She let go of me and watched me leave. She actually stood there and watched me climb the stairs until I was gone. There were so many things she could have done to stop me, but she let me go. Me going to Kyoshi Island is different... I'm not running away, I'm going somewhere where I'm wanted. The Fire Nation never felt like home to me and it never will."

Ty Lee allowed the tears to flow freely as she glared at Mai. "You don't know the first thing about Azula. There is a lot more to her than what you or anyone else sees in her. Zuko and I seem to be the only ones who can see that."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"So, you're leaving tomorrow?"

Zuko gave Ty Lee a reassuring smile as they sat on either side of Azula.

"Yeah, we stayed to witness your coronation and Suki begrudgingly allowed me a few more days to stay here. Suki and Mai believe she deserves this. No one deserves this. Are the doctors going to keep her in a straight jacket?"

The newly appointed Fire Lord nodded. "At least until the chi blocking anklets, bracelet, and choker arrive. You're sure they're not going to harm her?"

"Define 'harm', Zuko. I may not be a bender, but you're going to be blocking her ability to bend. For us nonbenders our limbs become noodle like because we lose the natural chi flow in our muscles. Benders become stiff since your chi flow is stopped abruptly while you control the chi of your element. I can only imagine how awkward it's going to be not feeling the normal chi flow you guys usually feel since it's enough to just block your ability to bend. I just hope they don't cut off her blood flow in the process." Ty Lee gripped the sheets near Azula's hand.

The two didn't speak. Zuko stared at Ty Lee as he tried solving this puzzle he felt was in front of him between his sister and their friend. He knew Ty Lee was always loyal to Azula, no matter what the princess did or said to the other girl. It's like he told Aang and the others it would not be fair to keep Ty Lee here to chi block Azula every time it wore off. He noticed Ty Lee's hesitance to even try to touch Azula as if the princess would break. All because Ty Lee had to betray Azula to prevent her from killing Mai. Zuko didn't have to read auras to know that action shook the acrobat.

He felt his smile grow when he began thinking of the last few days they spent on Ember Island after crashing Chan's party. There was definitely a shift in the way his sister and friend interacted with each other than when they arrived on Ember Island. Ty Lee later let it slip that Azula had actually apologized to her over something during the party. Zuko couldn't believe his ears and tried to get a confirmation from Azula, but he ended up head first into the water with Azula's help before he could say anything. But to this day he swears he saw his sister blush. The imaginary puzzle finally came together for him.

"I'm curious, Ty Lee. Why did you join the Kyoshi Warriors?"

"Because it's a group where I can be myself and part of something great as well. Also it's to get away from the Fire Nation again. I can't stand being near my parents and sisters. And because the Kyoshi Warriors wants me to be part of them. I'm finally wanted somewhere for being me."

"You don't think you were ever wanted here for being yourself?"

Ty Lee looked at Zuko. "Never... except when I'm with you, Mai, and Azula. Especially Azula. She always knew how to tell my sisters and I apart. I don't think she realized that she gave me some great advice when we were in school.

Zuko let out a sigh before blurting out, "Was there something going on between you and Azula?"

A faint blush crept onto the acrobat's face as she frowned. "No. Nothing officially. Well, not even unofficially. I know what I feel for Azula. I don't think she had a clue on what she was feeling. Nothing happened though and now nothing will happen."

"Ty Lee..."

She shook her head. "It's okay, Zuko. I'll be fine. Nothing can happen now because she needs to heal first. When she does recover, she probably wouldn't want to see me ever again anyways. I did betray her afterall. I'll just keep on going and if fate would have it to allow us to reconcile, then I will welcome it with open arms."

"She's lucky to have you, Ty Lee. I hope things turn out well for the both of you."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Yu, this is a bad idea. I can't go with you. I know I'm your assistant, but I absolutely can't go with you with this case." Azula argued.

"You can and you will. Normally my wife helps me out with this, but we don't know when she and the other women will be back to the village on Kyoshi Island to help me out. Today is their last training day, so they might be going all out. We don't have time with that baby on it's way. We've already spent longer than I like getting everything for the trip and it takes us an hour to get to Kyoshi Island. So, you're it and you're going. I'll vouch for you."

Azula placed the last of their luggage on the boat before continuing to argue. "Doesn't Kyoshi Island have their own midwives and doctors?"

"Their resident doctor passed away a few years back. I'm the only doctor closest to them. Their doctor never trained someone else to take over when he passed. His assistant is currently off in Ba Sing Se trying to get their degree to become a doctor, but I don't they're going to be coming back. You're coming as my assistant. End of discussion."

The princess kicked an empty crate into the air and threw a fireball at it, incinerating it, out of frustration before walking to the stem of the boat as the boatsman sailed them towards Kyoshi Island. She wasn't ready to face the people of Kyoshi, their warriors, or Ty Lee. Now, she didn't have a choice. Azula's very presence is not going to help the soon-to-be-mother relax while she's in labor. Not when the soon-to-be-mother was Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Then there was the factor she'd have to face her mother as well. Or at least Yu's wife, Jing's mother. The woman who Azula fully believes to be her banished mother.

She felt her hands tremble as she gripped the edge of the boat. Azula didn't know if she would be relieved or heartbroken if it turns out that Jing's mother, Lan Long, was not her mother, Ursa. There was too much coincidence for Ursa not to be Jing's mother. "Spirits, mother! How exactly would you and Ty Lee have handled that situation if it is indeed you? Surely, the other Kyoshi Warriors know something is up." Azula thought out loud.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"What happened?!" Zuko barked as he barged his way into the head doctor's office.

"My lord, I ask of you to please refrain from damaging my office any further than you already have the last time you were here. What happened was I had to replace another one of my staff because of what your sister did. How many staff members do I have to lose? She managed to burn some of them, make a lot of them not want to be anywhere near her, and even drove one of them insane that we had to admit him into our asylum."

Zuko shook his head not believing what he heard. "What do you mean she burned some of the staff? She has special anklets and bracelets to keep her from firebending. She even has a choker to keep her from breathing fire!"

The head doctor sighed and gestured towards the empty seat in front of her desk. The Fire Lord complied without question. "It was during one of the sponge baths. The employee didn't realize she wasn't fully sedated before taking the bracelet off. Thankfully she was sedated enough to prevent any major damage… But I have lost five doctors already. She's is by far the most difficult case we've had. I can only imagine what had happened to the Princess that lead her to this condition. My lord, I'm not sure what exactly it is we can do. I'm sorry, but I don't think there is much we can do."

"No…" Zuko objected quietly. "Please, I beg you! This can't be the end! My sister needs the treatment and needs help recovering. I don't know what else to do if she can't get help here!"

"We are at our last option, my lord. I've asked a dear friend of mine to take on the Princess's case. My friend has done many wonders as a doctor in a small Fire Nation village. If she can't help Princess Azula recover, then I am sorry, there is nothing else we can really do to help her recover. We can't help someone recover if they refuse to receive help, even if she is not altogether mentally she can subconsciously object the treatment." The head doctor explained. She leaned forward on her desk to make sure she had Zuko's attention. "What I say next has to be stayed between you and I. While many people of this nation is thankful for the war to be over, there are still many who support your father and didn't want the war to end. And this does involve the matter of my friend's safety."

The Fire Lord leaned in. "I'm listening.

"My friend is a waterbender. But, she can't practice her bending as openly as she liked. I'm one of the few people she trusts and I thought it best to mention it to you before her arrival."

This concerned Zuko greatly. "I'm not sure if that is a good option. I want to help my sister, but… during the comet she and I had an Agni Kai. Things happened and in the end my friend, Katara, defeated her. Katara is a waterbender. Do you think my sister would react poorly to having a waterbender doctor?"

"Hmmm…" The head doctor leaned back in her seat. "It might cause a poor reaction, but maybe this is exactly what the Princess needs. Water is her natural opposite and my friend is a water healer, but she's very spiritual as well. This is why she is the last resort, I have that much confidence in her."

Zuko shifted in his seat uneasily. This was all too much to handle, first the Harmony Restoration Movement, nearly going to war again, fixing his relationship with Mai, the wedding, and the first plans of building the Republic Nations and Republic City, he wanted something to finally go right when it involved his family. "I would like to meet her before she meets my sister."

"Of course, my lord."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"What's bothering you, Zuko?"

He rolled onto his back and looked at the ceiling of the bed canopy. "Azula. I'm so lost right now. I want something to go right with my family." Mai swatted his shoulder somewhat playfully causing him to chuckle. "You know what I mean, Mai. You have very much been a right in my family and so has our son or daughter." Zuko sat up slightly and placed his hand on Mai's swollen belly. "But, I want things to be right with Azula and I again, like when we were kids. I know you think she deserves it, but she doesn't. We were dealt a crappy hand with our family and I could have easily ended up just like her if I didn't have Uncle. She needs someone to be there for her when she needs it most."

"Zuko… we talked about this already. It wouldn't be right for me to stop you from helping her despite my own opinions. While I'm still bitter over it, family is important. It took my father trying to recruit me and Tom Tom into betraying you to realize that. I can't forgive her now, but maybe someday." She kissed his bare shoulder. "What's happening now with her?"

"If this new doctor can't help her, they're giving up on her. The head doctor said there is only so much they can do with a patient who doesn't want help in recovering. Azula apparently drove two doctors mad themselves." Zuko leaned back down on the bed. "I have a meeting with the new doctor tomorrow. I'm scared, Mai. I'm scared I'll never get my sister back. I won't be able to check in as often with the baby almost here. I don't know what to do."

Mai wrapped her arms around her husband and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You'll think of something. Maybe there is something that hadn't happened yet for you to see it." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I don't hate you."

Zuko smiled. "I don't hate you too."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"I'm very sorry, however, I have to ask… how is it you lived here in the Fire Nation for so long without drawing attention to yourself?" Zuko asked the healer.

"Because I'm half-Fire Nation and practiced my waterbending in secret, my lord. I'm not going to hide it since you need to be aware of how much your predecessors have hurt so many lives. My mother was one of the waterbenders taken from the Southern Water tribe. She was beaten, tortured, starved, raped, and I can continue listing all the horrible things that the guards did to her, but I'm sure you have the idea. She was only able to escape that prison because one of the other waterbenders managed to get out and over take the guards. Forgive me when I say I hate this nation for what it's former rulers have done to the rest of the world, my mother, and myself through. I grew up with my mother struggling to love my unconditionally and despising me because of how I was conceived. I'm the child she never wanted since my father is one of many men who raped her. Can you imagine hating the only place you've known as a home and not feel wanted?

I was fortunate to find one a few villages in the Fire Nation who was opened to people from other nations being part of their community. But that was after I was old enough to take care of myself." She gave Zuko sad smile.

"I... " Zuko swallowed hard. "I am so sorry for everything that has happened to you and your mother."

"Don't pity me, my lord. You weren't even born yet. I wanted you to understand some of the harsh realities of the war your ancestor started. Because there will be more stories similar to my mother's that will come to light and others will expect you to atone for what you inherited when you became the Fire Lord. I can only hope that you and your descendants shed a new light onto the Fire Nation."

Zuko let out a deep sigh. "I know we, my sister and I, don't deserve your kindness, but I'm begging you to please heal my sister."

"Fire Lord Zuko, I am a doctor first and foremost. As I said I might hate this nation because of the horrible things that happened to my mother and what I had to deal with growing up, but I will not turn my back on a patient who needs my help. You are not Fire Lord Sozin, nor Fire Lord Azulon, nor Fire Lord Ozai, neither is your sister. As Doctor Hino has already told you there only so much we doctors can do to help your sister. If she doesn't want help her body will reject any treatment, but I will do what I can to help her." The water bender looked Zuko in the eyes. "Now, I'll begin my assessment of your sister tomorrow afternoon when you firebenders are at your strongest. From what Doctor Hino has told me, Princess Azula lost to a waterbender during the comet, yes?"

"That is correct."

"Well, it's only fair that I use my waterbending on her when she doesn't feel so vulnerable, however, I won't be surprised if she still rejects my help since she'll be restrained with those chi blocking cuffs. I'll be assessing her chi through my waterbending. Whatever, caused your sister to have her mental breakdown it has heavily affected her spirit as well which in turned caused her to shut down. Most of her recovery will depend on her though. I can only act as her guide and make the transition easier for her. You may watch if you like, but I will not allow you to question my methods on how I handle your sister's recovery. I have inclination on harming her. Do I make myself clear, my lord?" She gave Zuko a slight bow asking for forgiveness on her rudeness that was necessary. She was not going to let anyone, including the Fire Lord, question how practices as a doctor because she was half-Water Tribe.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Doctor Chi."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Hino inhaled deeply before blowing out the smoke that she inhaled from her kiseru. She wasn't joking with the Fire Lord about his sister's condition and what would happen if her friend couldn't heal the princess. Princess Azula was the toughest case they've ever had.

"Being a doctor, don't you know smoking is bad for you? Give me that." Hino looked up to see Chi inhale from the kiseru.

"That bad with the Fire Lord?" The firebending doctor asked as she took her kiseru back.

Chi shook her head. "He's an older brother looking after his little sister. The only family he has left besides his wife and unborn child. Well, I guess I can't forget about General Iroh now can I? But he's in Ba Sing Se from what the Fire Lord tells me." The waterbending doctor sat down next to her friend. "Seeing how the Fire Nation royal siblings are like, it doesn't make our lives look as bad in some ways. Here we thought they had everything and no problems… What could have happened in that family that would lead to a fifteen year-old girl's mental breakdown?"

"Sozin, Azulon, and Ozai. They were children like everyone else in the world born during the time of a senseless war. Only they were raised amongst the source for the war." Hino exhaled another smoke. "You and I both know if Fire Lord Zuko hadn't become friends with Avatar Aang, the war might have still continued. If not with Fire Lord Zuko then probably with Princess Azula as the Fire Lord. Or 'Phoenix King Ozai'." Hino snickered at the name.

A weak smile appeared on the other doctor's face. "I heard some of the other doctor's say that she's a 'broken princess', but that's not what I saw when I checked on her. I saw a lost little girl who doesn't have someone to help guide home."

"What you think you're the one who can guide her home?"

"That's why you asked for me isn't it?"

"Point."

Silence fell between the two women.

"I can be her guide if she let's me. From what her brother has told me, that girl has lost everything that she held value." Chi took Hino's kiseru again. "Her father's approval, her mother's love and acceptance, being the perfect soldier to a war of lies and propaganda, and becoming Fire Lord."

"We had our own demons growing up with our parents. Is it because she's the princess that it led to her mental collapse?" Hino leaned back until her elbows her on the ground.

"Wouldn't you have a mental collapse with all that pressure on you at fifteen? And on top of that all that effort you've put towards those expectations still wasn't enough and losing everything you considered valuable? Even though I knew my mom hated me, I also knew she loved me. That's what I had to grow up with. You…"

"I had to grow up with my father wishing I was the one who was stillborn and not my twin brother. Yeah, that was a great reminder every time I didn't do something correctly in my father's eyes. Didn't help my mother did nothing about it either. Even when I became a doctor he still wishes it was me instead of my brother."

Chi inhaled one last time before handing Hino the kiseru back. "I have a feeling things are turning for the better and will improve even more once Princess Azula recovers. I can see this nation and other nations thriving if the Fire Lord and Princess can work together. We've seen what happens when two siblings don't work together, but from what I saw with Fire Lord Zuko… he wants his sister's help."

Hino nodded slowly be lifted her kiseru to the sky. "Long live Fire Lord Zuko and Princess Azula."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Azula?"

"What?"

Jing wrapped the blanket around her shoulders even tighter as she leaned against her teacher's shoulder. They were sitting on the porch of Suki's house while Yu helped the mother-to-be prepare for the birth. "What did you do that caused the people of Kyoshi to hate you so much? I never saw Dad like that before. He really defended you."

"Like I've told you before other times, I have done a lot of bad things during the war and made quite a few enemies. Enemies with me specifically and not the Fire Nation. The Kyoshi Warriors and people of Kyoshi being high on the list. Long story short, after a couple of friends and I defeated the Kyoshi Warriors, we took their uniforms and invaded Ba Sing Se incognito as the Kyoshi Warriors. I tarnished their name in order to secure a major victory for the Fire Nation."

"Ba Sing Se is the Earth Kingdom capital that the Fire Nation tried over nearly a hundred years to conquer, right?"

Azula nodded. "Unlike my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father, we conquered Ba Sing Se from the inside while they tried an attack from the outside."

"Suki is also usually really nice whenever Dad and I visited. Does she hate you that much because of the war?"

"Yes." Azula's whole body began trembling as the two firebenders continued to sat outside during winter. She let out a few deep breaths, blowing out some small fires from her mouth to keep herself warm. Jing rolled her eyes and wrapped part of her blanket around Azula.

"You can ask for help you know?" Jing said as she began to shake.

"Says, the one who isn't asking help on keeping warm." Azula wrapped her arm around Jing's shoulders to help transfer her heat to the young girl.

The silence that fell between the two firebenders broke and a herd of people came towards the house. Azula slowly stood up as she recognized them to be the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors followed by who she assumed were the women of the Jing's village. The excited chatter amongst the Kyoshi Warriors fell to a dead silent when they realized who was standing on Suki's porch. Not wanting to give the Kyoshi Warriors any excuse to suddenly attack her, Azula stayed perfectly still and kept her eyes on the group. Murmuring could be heard amongst the other women on what was happening. The tension in the air continued to build between the warriors and the princess.

"MOMMY!"

Azula snapped her attention away from the Kyoshi Warrior as she watched Jing run from the porch into the crowd where the young girl's mother was. She felt her throat tighten and her muscles tense as her eyes fell upon Jing's mother. Slowly she looked for Ty Lee, when she found her their eyes met. The look Ty Lee gave her was all she needed to confirm her suspicions. Lan Long was Ursa.


	9. Chapter VIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lengthier note at the end applied mostly to FF.Net readers.
> 
> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from the Prologue still applies.

Lan Long was Ursa. 

Her mother was Jing’s mother. Azula clenched her fists as she saw Ursa smiling and hugging Jing, happy to see her youngest daughter. The older woman didn’t even notice that her oldest daughter was standing in front of everyone witnessing the interactions between the mother and daughter. Unable to continue watching without causing a scene, Azula walked off the porch and headed towards the village exit. She barely heard Ty Lee call out for her as she kept on walking.

“Azula?” The firebender stopped at the soft voice of her mother’s. “Azula? Is that really you?”

She didn’t turn around or respond. Her throat continued to tighten as her teeth clenched to keep from turning around and screaming at the woman who abandoned her and her brother fifteen years ago.

“You’ve really grown. You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman that I always knew you would.”

The firebender shook her head before letting out a deep breath and prepared herself to stand her ground. Slowly she turned around and kept her eyes down. “Lan Long, I’ve heard so much about you from your daughter.” Azula was trying hard to keep her cool while showing how furious she was towards the woman in front of her. “But you’re needed elsewhere right now instead of talking to me. Your husband is trying to deliver a baby and doesn’t have his assistant. Since I’d only cause more harm than good I’m sure he would appreciate the help.”

“Azula…”

Ursa choked on whatever she was about to say seeing Azula’s glare. Ty Lee pushed herself forward ready for whatever the other girl could possibly do. She was scared. The last time Ty Lee saw Azula like this was at Boiling Rock when she betrayed her princess, her best friend.

“Your husband needs you now. And we have nothing to talk about... not like you ever had time for me anyways.” Azula mumbled the last part. Slowly she backed up as she continued to glare at her mother. Once she was past the village’s last hut, she turned and ran to the beach leaving everyone else behind.

Once she arrived onto the beach she fell to her knees and clenched her fists until her knuckles were white. She hadn’t felt this hurt and angry since Boiling Rock with Mai. Everything from that day as if she was reliving it again. Azula stood up and shot her arm out trying to lightning bend only to have an explosion in her face as she was thrown onto her back. Letting out a frustrated scream she jumped back onto her feet and began firebending every direction with streams of fire and fire balls flying everywhere.

“Out of all the places, why did she have to be here?” She sat down with her knees up and arms on top of them. “Why?” Azula placed her forehead as she kept repeating the question to herself.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Chi sipped her tea as she waited for her patient to arrive. This would be their first session. There were three possible results that could come out of today: either nothing will happen, her patient would be against her because she was a waterbender, or her patient will comply and the healing process will begin. Chi hoped very much for the latter. While it wouldn’t bother her for nothing to happen, she didn’t want her patient’s condition to worsen.

She looked down at her hand as she felt the warmth of the sun’s rays. This location was the most balanced for the two benders to be equal in means of comfort with their respective elements around them. A pond with a mini waterfall for natural sounds of tranquility in the garden next to the building’s open wall. Even though it was daylight the garden’s stone lanterns were lit along the pathway to the open walls. The gentle breeze cause the wind chimes to play their song making the late summer very picturesque. Chi looked up just as the medical assistants wheeled her patient to the table.

“Please remove the straightjacket and anything that is chi blocking her.” The medical assistants gave Chi a questioning look. “It will be all right. I’m sure our princess would feel more comfortable if she could move her arms and not have her natural abilities blocked.”

Hesitantly the medical assistants did as they were ordered. Once everything was removed they backed away from the princess. “Please leave the princess and I be.”

Slowly they backed further away from the two benders, but did not leave the room. They were on standby in case they had to restrain the princess. Chi let out a deep breath before standing up and glared at the assistants. “I said leave the princess and I be!” 

The assistants jumped before leaving the room completely. The doctor sat down and observed as her patient rolled her wrists slowly and rub them. She gave Azula a warm smile. “How are you today, Princess?”

Azula ignored Chi as she continued to rub her wrists. She was trying to be discreet as she tried to see if she could escape. “If you want to escape I won’t stop you, however, if you can barely feel your arms like normal; you’re certainly not going to be able to run away at this present time. And then there are the other medical assistants who would try to stop you, though I doubt they would be able to since you’re a prodigy. So for the time being why don’t you have some tea?”

The princess didn’t respond, but stopped looking for an escape and stared down Chi. The waterbender continued smiling as she sipped her tea. “What is your favorite tea, Prin-”

“Cut to the chase. What are you possibly going to do? I doubt you’re going to succeed like the previous ones. Some were so weak I heard I drove them mad. I’m rather proud of that one actually.”

“No you’re not, Azula. You didn’t want to hurt those doctors.”

She clenched her fists as she tried ignoring her mother’s voice. “Shut up.” Azula muttered.

“If you want me to ‘cut to the chase’, Princess, then I will. Since you do not want me to beat around the bush, let me show you.” Chi waterbended the tea from the pot and into Azula’s cup.

“Oh, how wonderful!” Ursa praised.

Azula shot up from her chair glaring at Chi as if she was about to murder her. “What is a filthy waterbending peasant doing here in my country?”

Chi calmly sipped her tea to Azula’s reaction. “A waterbending peasant, yes. Filthy? I would hope not, that is not exactly healthy and it would have been very disrespectful to be in my princess’s presence if I was filthy.”

“Don’t you dare address me as your princess when you have no ties to the Fire Nation!”

“Azula! Don’t speak to your doctor like that.” Her mother scolded.

The firebender clenched her fists even tighter to keep herself from lashing out at her mother. She could deal with her later, but now it was more pressing to deal with the waterbender in front of her. Losing to Katara and losing her crown to be Fire Lord was hurting her as if it was yesterday. Having a waterbending doctor was the last thing she wanted to deal with. Azula would do everything she can to get rid of this doctor like she did the rest. No one understood her.

“Forgive me, Princess. I do have ties to the Fire Nation. My father was a Fire Nation soldier working in one of the prisons where they kept the waterbenders from the Southern Water Tribe. What he and the other men he worked with did to my mother and the other women… Well, that’s how I got here. Therefore it is my greatest honor to be in your presence. Since I am one of your subjects.”

“How horrible.” Ursa mumbled.

Slowly everything her doctor had told her began to sink in. Azula’s eyes widened in horror realizing what had happened to Chi’s mother. She knew those crimes happened in the prisons, but she feigned ignorance not wanting to believe it was true while the war was happening.

“Like I told your brother, do not pity me. It is a harsh reality of the war started by Fire Lord Sozin. I am a doctor who happens to be a waterbender, a healer at that, I will never turn my back on a patient who needs me. I will do everything in my power to help you recover, Princess. But, I can only do so if you let me. I promise you that I will not lie to you and will lay everything out. Starting with, I am your last chance of recovering. If I can’t help you then the hospital is going to give up on you. We can only do so much to help if you don’t want to help yourself. In order to help you, I will have to use my waterbending. Please allow me to help you, Princess Azula.”

Azula looked away from Chi and at the hallucination of her mother. “You’re bleeding.” Ursa calmly told her daughter. She looked down to see her palms were bleeding from clenching her fists. Shaking her head she looked back at Chi.

“I’m done talking.” The princess sat back in her chair and stared at Chi for the rest of their session.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ty Lee continued watching Azula sitting on the beach. She wanted to walk up and hold the other girl, but she didn’t know where she stood with Azula. The acrobat still felt guilty for telling the firebender to trust her only to betray her the next day. Despite what any of her friends say, Ty Lee knew she was one of the key reasons for Azula’s downfall at the end of the war.

“Are you happy?”

The acrobat was startled suddenly hearing Azula’s voice. “What?”

“Are you happy?” Azula lifted her head to look out into the sea. “You’ve been living here since the end of the war, so I’m going to assume you’re happy.”

“As happy as I can be, but…” Ty Lee slowly approached Azula and sat next to the other girl. “not completely happy.”

“Did you know she was living in that village?”

“No. I only visited a few times and never ran into her. I was surprised to see her when the other women arrived for the training retreat. She recognized me immediately as well and asked me to keep it a secret since everyone else was oblivious to her backstory, except that she was from the Fire Nation.” Ty Lee sat down next to the princess and wrapped her arms around her legs. She didn’t like the awkward tension that was between her and Azula.

“Thank you.” Azula whispered.

“What for?”

“For stopping me from becoming a murderer and… I’m sorry. For putting you in that situation and for locking you up.”

“You’re welcome.” Ty Lee felt her cheeks warm up a little. This was the second time Azula sincerely apologized to her. “I’m sorry for breaking your trust.” She bit her lip to keep herself from saying more. 

Azula let out a deep breath and stood up. “You don’t need to apologize. Like I said, I put you in that situation. I don’t see how else you could have done that differently.”

“I could have stopped Mai.”

“Then I would have struck you. I was already in motion when you chi blocked me, if you didn’t do that I wouldn’t have been able to stop in time. I’m not as perfect as everyone believed. The war proved that.”

“You’re always perfect to me.” Ty Lee mumbled quietly that Azula couldn’t hear. “So what are you going to do?”

“What?” Azula looked at Ty Lee seeing the her sitting cross-legged on her bed. She shook her head knowing they weren’t in her bedroom back in the Fire Nation.

“I asked, what are you going to do?” Ty Lee slowly stood up worried about Azula’s sudden change in attitude. “Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

Azula took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “It kind of felt that way just now. Déjà vu. I suddenly remembered the last night we talked before the Boiling Rock the question caught me by surprise was all. It’s funny… I did kind of ended up like Zuko in the end.” She looked at her palm imagining a ball of fire seeing how weak her firebending was compared to before she went crazy.

“Yeah, you did. No longer pressured by your father, able to do what you want and not follow his plans. Be who you want to be.” Ty Lee said quietly just enough for Azula to hear so she could pretended to not hear the acrobat if she chose.

“But I haven’t broken away from him. Zuko faced him. I never did and I don’t know what I want to be… I do know what I want though.” Azula replied as she looked back out to the sea.

“What do you want?”

“Too many things.” She looked at Ty Lee from the corner of her eye. “One of the things I want is to be able to firebend like I used to and to be able to lightning bend again.”

“You will. I know you will. You’re the best firebender in the world.”

Azula gave Ty Lee a sad smile. “If only that were true now. I don’t have the same drive anymore because I have no reason for it. I don’t want to overthrow Zuko. I don’t want to do anything that would harm whatever Zuko worked hard in the past nine years. The world changed so much already and it’s for the better. Also I happen to like my niece and I don’t think she would want me to cause any harm to her father.”

“I believe you.” The whole time she had been looking at Azula’s aura. It was brighter than when she last saw the firebender in the hospital when the Kyoshi Warriors stood guard for Zuko during the Harmony Restoration Movement conflict. And her aura never changed once when Azula talked about Zuko; she wasn’t lying. “Do you want to go back to town yet?”

“Tch… I’d rather swim across the sea and go back to… whatever is the a name of that village instead of going back and seeing her.” Azula glared at the sea.

Ty Lee giggled. “I wouldn’t recommend doing that. While I’m sure the elephant koi fish wouldn’t mind you, there’s the unagi you’d have to worry about.” The acrobat began walking about to the village.

If Azula did want to walk back to the village, Ty Lee wanted to walk in front of her. She wanted to give the firebender some sense of control by giving the princess her back, leaving herself open. Ty Lee had a feeling Azula wouldn’t want to have her back exposed to her despite what the other girl had said. She was surprised when Azula instead began walking beside her. 

“What’s an unagi?”

The acrobat turned around and continued walking backwards as she looked out towards the sea. The elephant koi fish weren’t swimming around at the moment, so the unagi wasn’t going to shoot out of the water like it normally did. 

“You’ll see one day.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

For months their sessions had the same outcome like the way their first session ended. Azula starring Chi down while the doctor sipped her tea and occasionally asked Azula questions that she never answered. Today was a little different as Chi slid an envelope over to Azula. “This is from your brother.”

Azula stared at the envelope debating whether to open it or destroy it. What could possibly Zuko send to her that he didn’t tell her on his visits. Not that she could remember most of her brother’s visits since the assistants usually sedated her whenever she thought of attacking Zuko. Yet he always came back to visit and continued to show kindness to her. Slowly she grabbed the the envelope and opened it.

“I’m an aunt.”

Chi gave a small smile. “Congratulations.”

“Congratulations? Congratulations?” Azula laughed. “That means I’ve really lost the throne. I’ll never be Fire Lord. My niece is the crowned princess and will take the throne some day. And why couldn’t he have come and tell me this himself? It never stopped him from telling me other things while he visited.”

“Are you going to plan a coup then? Kill them?”

“What?” Azula questioned. “I… no. I’m not a murderer. I’m NOT a murderer! That would make me a monster. I’m not a monster. DO YOU HEAR ME? I’M NOT A MONSTER!”

The air was tense as Chi evaluated Azula’s reaction while the princess was breathing heavy from her outburst. “You’re not a monster, Princess. My apologies for even asking a question like that. May I ask what brought this up about you being a monster? Or not being a monster.”

Azula hung her head in defeat. She was done. “That is the last thing my mother called me before she disappeared. I was becoming a monster like my father. But I’m nothing like him, he is a monster. He murdered Lu Ten.”

“Prince Lu Ten? How could your father have murdered him? Prince Lu Ten died during the Siege of Ba Sing Se.” Chi asked. She definitely did not expect this to happen while trying to treat Azula.

The princess shook her head. “No, he didn’t murder Lu Ten personally, but he hired someone to track down Lu Ten and murder him. It was his whole plan to take the throne from my uncle. Lu… he was Uncle’s only child and without an heir there no way for Uncle to pass the crown down except to Zuko or myself. I overheard my father not long after my mother disappeared how he had set everything up to become Fire Lord. I don’t know how he killed my grandfather though.”

“Azula, you were scared and kept the secret no child should have kept. Honey, I’m sorry.” Ursa apologized to her daughter.

“Shut up.” Azula muttered as she shut her eyes trying to make Ursa disappear. “I’m done talking. I’m done with everything. I’m tired of being the one with all the secrets. I’m tired. So tired.” She leaned forward muttering until she had her arms wrapped around her thighs and her head hanging between her knees. “I’m so tired.”

Chi’s heart broke for her princess. No one should have had to go through with what Azula and Zuko had gone through with their childhood. She was beginning to understand more why the firebender lost her sanity at the end of the war. The waterbender looked over at the stone garden lanterns and saw the flames were burning blue.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“Tonight we celebrate for the newest member of our village and a future Kyoshi Warrior!” Oyaji announced proudly before turning his attention to Sokka and Suki who were showing off their newborn daughter, Mikki.

The entire village cheered and collectively gave their congratulations to the new parents as the feast continued around the giant bonfire. Laughter and stories were passed all around. Azula was away from most of the village as she ate her food in silence. They might have fed her and were being polite towards her, but she was not welcomed to their village, their island, their home.

“Um… Azula? Why are you sitting away from everyone else?” Jing asked as she approached her firebending master.

“How many times do I have to tell you, kid? I’m not exactly welcomed here.”

“Well, duh! We’ve covered that, Azula! You smeared their name, their image, all to conquer Ba Sing Se from the inside. But, why aren’t you sitting with Daddy and I? Is it because of my mom?”

Azula’s silence gave Jing her answer.

“Our mothers never knew each other did they? They didn’t know each other because Mommy and your mother are the same person, aren’t they?”

“Yeah… Lan Long is my mother, but I know her by a different name. Her real name that she was given by our grandparents in the Fire Nation.” Azula looked at Jing.

Jing sat down next to Azula. “Now I get why Mommy looked so sad whenever she read ‘Love Amongst the Dragons’, she was thinking of you every time she read it to me.”

The older firebender let out a huff. “Jing, I don’t want my feelings towards her effect what you feel for her. This is fifteen years worth of problems that you had no control over since you weren’t even born yet. And it once again is tied back to my father’s family.”

“Are you and Mommy going to be constantly fighting? Does Daddy know?”

“I’ll be doing most of the fighting because I honestly don’t care what she has to say at the moment. There are so many things I want to lash out at her about. As for your dad, he has to know. The way he had said things in the past month makes it obvious that he knew everything.”

Jing scrunched her nose. “Well, that’s not fair! He knew I had a brother and a sister the whole time! And they’re royal! Too bad I’m not royal either.”

Azula laughed. “Trust me, kid. You wouldn’t have wanted to be part of the royal family. It’s too messed up, just look at what happened to Zuko and I. However, you are from a former noble family on our mother’s side. They sadly lost their nobility status because of our great-grandfather.”

“What?! What did he do?”  
“Besides being born the Avatar? He was labeled a traitor by my great-grandfather from my father’s family.”

“NO WAY!” Jing jumped up in excitement. “We’re related to Avatar Roku?! That’s so cool! Why was he labeled a traitor?”

“That’s a story for another time and I see your mother wants you to go back over to your parents.” Azula looked away immediately so Ursa wouldn’t get any ideas of them talking tonight.

The young firebender frowned. “Won’t you come sit with us?”

“Not a good idea.”

“But!” Jing let out a frustrated sigh and stomped her foot. “You don’t have to talk to OUR mom if you don’t want to, okay? I don’t want you sitting by yourself though, besides after pretending you were my older sister for the past month I would like to sit with my actual sister with my dad and OUR mom. Please, Azula?” 

“Fine.” The young girl grabbed her sister’s arm and tugged towards her parent's direction.

“Azula!” Yu exclaimed. “I’m glad you could join us! Have you?” He did know how to end his question and thought best to leave it vague for the villagers to not understand, but enough for Azula to understand where he was going with that short question.

“Yes, I have met your wife.” Azula glared at Ursa. Her mother frowned from the cold shoulder her eldest daughter was giving her. “And yes, I’m aware that you know about everything. Jing knows the basics of this… family drama. She and I have an understanding of certain situations.” She gave another glare towards her mother. “However, I would like to continue training her if I may have your permission.”

“Of course.” Yu replied for him and Ursa. He turned towards his wife and gave her a reassuring smile for this to past someday. “Please, sit and eat!”

The two firebenders sat and ate whatever plate of food Yu had passed them. Jing immediately began talking to Ursa and asking more about their great-grandfather and her mother’s life in the Fire Nation before she was banished. Azula occasionally gave her mother a warning glare that they would absolutely not be talking tonight. Her gaze began to wander as she half-listened to her mother and sister talked. She stopped when she spotted Ty Lee. The acrobat looked at Azula and gave a shy wave while Azula looked away. She looked back at the other girl and watched her as if trying to remember every detail.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Azula had her hand covered her face as she feigned sleeping ever since the incident at Boiling Rock, she never kept her back to any doors or other people while she slept. Two years have passed since Azula revealed what Ozai had done in the last years of the war. Recently the daily sessions have moved to the princess’s room since she absolutely refused to leave her room. Chi would sit there drinking her tea, continued to ask questions Azula would never answer, and now occasionally smoking her kiseru.

Zuko hadn’t visited her once since her niece was born. It was through Chi that she later came to learn that her niece was named Izumi. While Azula would never admit it out loud to anyone, not hearing this from her brother personally had hurt her as she had come to miss her brother’s visits even if she had to be sedated from attempting to attack him. To her it showed someone had still cared about her and now that he hadn’t visited her once in two years, she had given up.

“Happy birthday, Azula. I remember how the midwives we so ecstatic that their princess was born at the highest point of the Summer Solstice. They said you had to have been very lucky to be blessed by Agni in such a way. I guess that’s why it didn’t come as a surprise for me when you began bending at the age of three. You are a natural.” Ursa recounted with awe.

The princess closed her eyes and shifted to cover her head with her pillow to try block out her mother. She heard the same thing every year since she was admitted to the hospital. She inhaled deeply as she tried to bask in the warm feeling of the sun as it was the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. There was only so much of the sun’s energy she could feel while inside, she wanted to connect with Agni again.

“I can help you connect with him if that’s what you desire. I can even guide you to recovery if you really want to help yourself.”

Unfamiliar with the voice, Azula opened her eyes and peeked out from under her pillow to see an old man in place of where her mother’s hallucination was standing. While he was marked a traitor to the Fire Nation, Azula recognized the man in front of her. Why he was here confused the princess. Why would she be hallucinating Avatar Roku?

“You are not hallucinating, I am here. However, only you can see me because you are my great-granddaughter. We are spiritually connected like I am to the Avatar and my other descendents. The Avatar is the only one who has the capability to talk to me more freely, but when one is at their lowest that is when they seek answers elsewhere. That is how I am able to talk to you now, Azula.”

Slowly she sat up from her bed as she stared at Roku in disbelief. Avatar Roku being one of her great-grandfathers from her mother’s side of the family. She wondered if Zuko knew of anything if they were related to Avatar Roku.

“Princess?” Chi asked.

Azula growled in anger. She could feel the heat in her palms as if fire was about to be produced. This was the first time she could feel herself coming close to firebending in a long time since she’s been chi blocked. She didn’t know how much of it had been from her anger that was escalating, the Summer Solstice, or both. There was no way she could be related to the traitor. Why would her grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon, allow the traitorous blood to be passed down the royal family.

“Princess Azula, is everything alright?” Chi slowly approached the girl.

“Get out.” Azula growled as she kept glaring at Roku. “I SAID GET OUT!” She slammed her fist to the wall leaving a scorch mark from her sudden burst of fire.

Chi quickly evaluated her patient. “Princess, I understand you want me to leave. Before I do though… I would like to make a deal with you. Allow me use my waterbending on you to assess your chi and I won’t have the assistants place the chi blockers on you anymore.”

The firebender opened and closed her mouth as she tried processing everything that was happening around her. “I… fine! I don’t care anymore!” She stared at Roku as she could feel her eyes stinging as she tried to keep herself from crying out of frustration.

The cool feeling of the water moving along her back was soothing. Azula began to feel light headed as her sudden rush of energy began to fade. She unclenched her fists and laid down on her bed as Chi continued use her waterbending on her. It was new and different not feeling the water being bent at her in a fight, but like a massage.

“As promised, we’ll leave the chi blockers off of you. Our session is done for the day. The assistants will come by occasionally to check on you, Princess.” Chi walked over to the door and turn back. “By the way… Happy birthday, Princess Azula.” She gave the princess a small smile and left the room.

Once she was returned to her office down the hall from her patient’s room, she ordered one of her assistants to get Hino. While this was the first time she was able to use her waterbending on the princess, she was able to tell in the past that this case was not going to be about Azula’s sanity, but her spirit as well. Over the years she felt the various shifts in her princess’s spiritual energy as if she was fighting a war inside herself.

“Hey, what did you need to see me about?” Hino asked as she entered her friend’s office.

“Well as the head doctor I thought I’d best inform you of some of the changes with our special guest.” Chi poured some tea for the two of them. “First off, now don’t yell at me, she is currently not wearing her chi blockers and she has some capacity to firebend.” 

Hino inhaled deeply to keep from yelling and calmly spoke through her gritted teeth. “Isn’t that a bit dangerous? Especially during the solstice?”

Chi smirked before passing Hino her tea cup. “Normally, yes. However, there was something different about her. I told you in my previous reports how it seemed like two energy sources fighting in her, right?” Hino nodded remembering those entries over the past few years. “The ‘warmer’ one is very dominant today while the ‘colder’ one had a cameo appearance when the princess slammed her fist against the wall. By the way, don’t worry about the scorch mark on her wall. Very minimal damage that could be easily cleaned later.”

“You are taking this rather well for someone who’s patient had suddenly acted differently in the last couple of years.”

“Maybe so, but she allowed me to waterbend on her today. My suspicions about those two energies were confirmed and in return I did say we won’t put the chi blockers on her. She’s a bender, Hino. You and I both know that’s not healthy if we kept blocking her chi. That’s why I never had her wear them during our sessions. I don’t think she’s going to be hurting anyone or herself if we allow her to not be blocked. At this point I believe it will help her.”

The head doctor sighed. “I guess I have no choice, but to believe you. After all, you’re still here. You’ve last longer than the other five doctors she’s had combined."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“Daddy, I think Azula is acting weird.” Jing whispered as she stared at her sister.

Yu looked at the older firebender and followed her line of sight over to Ty Lee. Looking back at his wife’s first daughter he was able to make the connection and chuckled. “Don’t worry about her. You’ll understand one day.”

“But it’s weird! She’s just staring.”

She looked away immediately when Ty Lee looked over at them. A small sad smile appeared on her face as she heard Ty Lee laugh on the other side of the fire. When Ty Lee looked away, she looked back at the other girl.

“See!” Jing exclaimed loudly. The sudden exclamation shook Azula out of the trace she had fixed on the acrobat. “Azula, I hope I don’t turn out as weird as you when I’m older.”

The older firebender gave her protege a confused look. “What are you talking about?” Jing rolled her eyes and finished the last of her food. Azula returned the eye roll and leaned back to look up at the night sky. That was one of her favorite things while travelling during the war and her unofficial banishment. No matter how the day went she always had the stars to look up to and let her mind wander. At least when the sky was clear, thankfully it was tonight.

“Hey.”

Azula looked up to see Ty Lee and stood up immediately. “Hey.”

Ty Lee smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey…” Azula began rubbing the back of her neck not sure what else to do.

“Now they’re both being weird, Dad!” Jing whispered. “I don’t want to be this weird when I’m older!” You just chuckled again and patted his daughter on the head.

“I was wondering where you might be staying for the night? Since Yu is going to be staying for the next couple of days to make sure Mikki is alright and everything.”

“Oh, well…” The princess looked over at Yu for help since she wasn’t sure what to do. Originally she was going to stay with Jing and her parents until it was confirmed that Ursa was Yu’s wife. Now it would only cause more tension than what Azula wanted to deal with at the moment.

Sensing his assistant’s distress he spoke up. “Ty Lee, would it be okay with you if Azula stays with you while we’re here? Lan and I have a lot to talk about especially with the more recent events since she’s been gone for the past month.”

The acrobat’s eyes lit up. “Of course! That is if you want to, Azula.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it. Um… actually would we be able to go now?”

“Of course.”

Both girls bid Jing’s family a good night, except for Ursa in Azula’s case, and headed towards Ty Lee’s hut. Sokka and Suki kept their eye on Azula as she passed the new parents. The firebender expressed her congratulations to the couple to be polite only to cause more tension. 

“Since the island is small, I have two roommates as well. Though we have our own bedrooms so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about them being on guard around you. Suki will forgive you eventually I’m sure.” Ty Lee tried to ease some of the tension that was in the air between Azula and the other Kyoshi Warriors.

The princess shrugged. “That’ll be quite a while then. I have a better chance of having Sokka forgive me rather than Suki. Though I do have something for Sokka that I was… rewarded into my possession while I was traveling the Earth Kingdom. Not that I expect him to forgive me when I give it to him, I’m certain he’ll enjoying having it back though.”

“Back? What was the reward?”

“His sword. A bounty in the Earth Kingdom found it in Wulong Forest. In exchange for his bounty, I got the sword instead of the usual payment. Aang told me how he lost it during Sozin’s Comet.”

Ty Lee smiled at the explanation. “That’s sweet of you. Sokka does sometimes have his moments where he mopes about losing his space sword, but would never want to change it because it helped him save himself and Toph.”

“I’ve seen every single one of my brother’s friends during my unofficial banishment except Toph.”

“She’s the Chief of Police in Republic City. She’s also still trying to get more metal benders on the force so she’s probably really busy.”

Azula nodded. “I thought as much since it was her deputy that June and I turned the bounty into. The United Republic of Nations is coming along well. I’m glad Zuko and Aang were able to resolve the Fire Nation colonies issue.”

The acrobat laughed nervously. “Well it wasn’t exactly easy. Another war almost broke out over it.”

“So I heard.”

“And a few other things, but that can be for another day. Now you met June, the bounty hunter? How did you get partnered up with her?”

“That’s also a story for another day.”

Both girls looked away from each other unsure what else they could say. It felt natural for them to be talking to each other, but also tense because of their history. The tension between the two was starting to grow until Ty Lee finally spoke up.

“I’ll go grab the extra futon for you. Though… it’s the futon your mother used during the training. It’s the only extra one we have since I’m assuming she’s going to be with Yu and Jing tonight. Just thought I let you know.”

With that Ty Lee left Azula alone in her bedroom. She quickly scanned the room to see it was minimal with a nice blend of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. There was a photograph sitting on top of the drawer. Photographs were certainly not cheap as Azula came to learn since cameras and photography were still fairly new. Upon closer inspection it was a picture of Ty Lee and her sisters at the circus. The same circus Ty Lee ran away to join and the one Azula manipulated the other girl to leave. A surge of guilt ran through her remembering that day clearly.

She could not let the guilt sink in again, what’s done is done. There was no way for her to go back and fix it. All she could do is move on and try to make amends for it later. Azula closed her eyes and took deep breaths as she began muttering to herself what Roku had taught her when he helped her recover.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

After Chi left her alone through the day, assistants walked by her room at various times to make sure everything was still controlled. They were all on edge because Azula no longer had the chi blockers on thanks to her deal with the doctor. She didn’t understand why the doctor was so desperate to use her waterbending on her. Azula didn’t feel any different.

The princess was lying on her bed holding her right wrist as she stared at the ceiling contemplating everything. From her doctor letting her not have the chi blockers on to remembering the ghost feeling she felt run along her right side where Ty Lee had hit her. The events of the Boiling Rock kept replaying in her head reminding her of the beginning of her downfall.

“Have you thought of my offer?”

And then there was Roku. 

"Why should allow you to help me? How do I know you are my great-grandfather? There is no way my grandfather would have allowed your bloodline to taint his since you're a traitor." Azula replied.

"You only know half of the story of what happened while I was still the Avatar. You don't even know the truth behind the propaganda spread by Fire Lord Sozin. Haven't you felt as if two entities have been fighting inside you? That has sadly been both Sozin and I as our energies been fighting for dominance of your spiritual being." Roku explained.

Azula stood up until she was standing in front of Roku. "And how do you plan on helping me?"

Roku gave his great-granddaughter a gentle smile. "I can start the process and only guide you. In the end only you can help yourself. For so many years your father's bloodline has been dominant and left you in your current state when everything that you had shaped to be your world was no longer there."

"So you want your energy to dominate my being? Assuming I believe that you are my great-grandfather."

"No, I'm not trying to have my energy dominant. Sozin's energy threw you off balance. You are the legacy of the Fire Lord and Avatar. Neither of us should have complete dominance over you. I'm can help guide you to bring balance between your two sides and the you decide how you pursue your destiny. You could either continue the path you were living or choose another path. One of our energies while have more influence, but should dominant since you are both."

The princess sighed looking into Roku’s eyes tiredly. "What do I need to do?”

“You are out of balance and you will need to face what is blocking your spiritual flow. While you will not be opening your chakras like the Avatar would, this is a matter of facing your inner demons and bringing balance to your spiritual energy. I must one you, once the process starts you must finish.”

“And what happens if I don’t?”

“Then you will die. You will undergo a spiritual sickness and only you can help yourself pull through what you will face. I can only be there as a guide, but your choices is what will determine the outcome.”

Azula didn’t realize she was trembling hearing she had only one chance to recover. “I’ll do it. I’ve already lost everything including my sanity. Only thing I have left to lose is my life.”

“You are my great-granddaughter.” Roku gave her a reassuring smile. “While I’ve never been present in either you or Zuko, I’m still spiritually connected to both of you and know you two are meant for greater things than the war Sozin started. Though I must also warn you, you will also be on a time limit. Not only will your choices determine what will happen to you, but whether or not you recover before your body gives out from the stress.”

“I don’t want this life.” Azula replied just above a whisper as a stray tear slid down her cheek. “Could we please start?”

Roku nodded before closing his eyes. The two stood in the middle of the room with nothing happening. Azula was confused as to why he wasn’t doing anything. Slowly she felt her chi start to fade as the sun was setting. The solstice was coming to an end. The princess also closed her eyes as she felt the last of the sun’s energy fade when her whole body began to burn. She screamed in agony as she opened her eyes seeing Roku burning her alive. Roku never let up until there was nothing but a body sized pile of ash in the middle of the room. 

“When you are ready, rise.” Echoed in the room until there was silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: A lot of things had happened in my life since I last updated Wanted. Quite a bit of personal struggles that left me in quite a bit of a rut that I lost most of my motivation. However, I never gave up writing this or GWWR. I’ve been writing slowly and bit-by-bit to keep it moving forward. I’ve been re-reading all your reviews have definitely helped me continue writing after all these years. I’m putting Playing With Lemurs on hold so I can finish writing Wanted and GWWR.
> 
> I can’t believe it’s been nearly three years since I started writing Wanted. When I look at the publish dates and the last updated dates I can’t believe how much time has flown by without warning. 
> 
> Here are some things I have planned for Wanted to keep you guys wondering what will happen in future chapters: I am going to have parts from The Search used in Wanted, primarily the flashbacks. While it seems like Azula and Ty Lee are on good terms, they still have a lot of things to resolve from ten years ago. Ursa and Azula are going to take a while to mend any form of their relationship, they’re first going to learn about each other as a person since they are practically strangers.
> 
> Somethings I would like to hear back from you: Do you think Azula would keep finding Ursa a secret from Zuko or would she send word to her brother about their mother? Would Azula ever be able to bend blue fire again or do you think she’ll bend a different color fire? What do you think Azula’s reaction would be if she were to try Iroh’s bubble tea?
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking around as long as you have and welcome new readers as well!


	10. Chapter IX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Some minor references towards ‘Sisters’ (2015 Free Comic Book Day, Avatar comic) and ‘The Search’ Part 3.
> 
> Disclaimer: Disclaimer from the Prologue still applies.

One of the many hospital assistants hummed to herself as she made her rounds to check on the patients in the early morning. She panicked at the sight of the Fire Nation princess on the ground shaking violently. “HELP! There is an emergency in room 121!” The assistant yelled down the hallway before entering the room. “Someone get Doctor Chi and Hino!”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Azula gasped as she shot up to a sitting position. She patted herself to check to see that she was indeed still alive. The firebender growled angrily at Roku for telling her to trust him and he cremated her, so why was she still alive and sitting in a pile of ash? Faintly she still heard, “When you are ready, rise.” She looked at her surroundings and found only darkness, no longer in her room.

“Roku?” Azula called out into the nothing. As she prepared to stand a burning pain shot through her entire body causing her to sit while trying to ride out the pain.

“I’m afraid I can’t allow you to wait it out, Azula. You are on a time limit for you to recover.” Roku informed as he stood in front of his great-granddaughter. “The burning pain you are feeling is the emotional and spiritual pain you blocked yourself from feeling during the war. It will begin to wear off as you recover. I must advise we begin as your body is starting to feel the stress of the illness.”

“Why did you burn me?” Azula spat out before clutching her stomach feeling as if she was about to throw up.

“To give you a clean slate. To build your new foundation. That part of your life is over, you’re not the girl that fell during the war, but the woman who rose above the hardships.”

“You are a failure…”

Azula lifted her head, eyes widened in shock suddenly hearing her father’s voice.

“You’re just as much of a monster as your father.” Ursa’s voice echoed.

She jumped at the sudden crash from glass. Azula stood up and looked around frantically until she came upon the site of herself sobbing in front of the mirror she broke before her coronation.

“You can’t treat me like this! You can’t treat me like Zuko!” Her desperate plea from when her father took what was left of everything she had worked for. Ozai stood in his phoenix king armor with his back to her.

The princess yelped in pain as she fell to her knees, the burning pain coursing through her again. “Why am I seeing this?”

“You are being shown your fears. You fear being alone and forgotten.” Roku explained. “You fear your mother viewing you as a monster.”

“Can you blame me?” Azula winced and drew a sharp breath. “Everyone left me eventually: my mother, father, Zuko, Mai… Ty Lee. Zuko hasn’t visited in two years. They’re all probably better off without me anyways.”

“Azula please… You know I can’t stay. How can I in that environment where I don’t have my own name? Where I’m not wanted.” A memory of Ty Lee pleaded.

“All you have to do is ask and you won’t be alone, Azula.” Roku stated. “There are people who care about you.”

Shakenly Azula stood up again to grab Ty Lee’s wrist like she did years ago. “No. I didn’t then and I can’t now. Even if this is a memory, I can’t ask her to stay when she is unhappy so I won’t be alone.” Slowly she let go of Ty Lee’s wrist and the memory disappeared. “You said all I have to do is ask?”

Roku nodded. “Yes.”

“Then there is only one person I can ask. Even when he was gone he helped me survive those lonely years by being my drive to not be like him. And while I was manipulating him in Ba Sing Se, there was a grain of truth in what I said to him.”

“I need you, Zuko.” Echoed.

“Please don’t abandon me.” Azula spoke to an image of her brother. “I do need you, Zuko.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ty Lee knocked on the door to Azula’s room in the hospital before slowly entering. “Hello?”

“Hello.” The acrobat jumped from being startled by a voice that was not Azula’s. “How may I help you, dear?”

“Oh, um… I’m just here to visit Princess Azula. Is now not a good time?” She looked at the firebender, sound asleep in bed during broad daylight.

“Well, you won’t receive much of a response from her, but I don’t see why not. I’m Doctor Chi, the primary doctor on her case.” Chi held out her hand for Ty Lee to shake.

“Ty Lee. A pleasure to meet you, Doctor Chi. May I ask what is wrong with her? It’s the middle of the day and she’s asleep.” Ty Lee asked as they shook hands.

“Yes, very unusual for firebenders to be sleeping this time of day, isn’t it? However, the princess has been suffering from insomnia and sleep deprivation. We have incense to help calm her senses and lull her to sleep.” Chi sat back down. “You may visit her, but I’ll be here to keep an eye on her. No worries, whatever is said will not leave this room.”

The acrobat nodded and sat in the chair next to Azula’s bed. Like the other times she had visited the princess, she gripped the sheets near her hand. “Hey, once again the time I visit you, you’re sleeping. I guess that is okay, you would probably be furious if you saw me. You might have heard already, but you’re an aunt now! Mai and Zuko had a baby girl. Her name is ‘Izumi’. That’s why I’m able to visit you. Last time was almost a year ago at Mai and Zuko’s wedding. I’ll let you in on a secret.” Ty Lee leaned close so Chi wouldn’t hear. “Mai was about two months pregnant at their wedding! I was able to faintly see Izumi’s aura at the wedding. Remember that’s a secret you can tease Zuko about later. Everyone else thinks Izumi was born prematurely and was really healthy.”

The rest of the visit Ty Lee talked about life on Kyoshi Island and what in general has been going on in the world. “It’s been two years already. Azula, I keep praying to whichever spirits will listen for you to have a speedy recovery. There is more I want to tell you. So much more, but I can’t because we need you better and in a place where you feel in control of your life again. How I wish sometimes we were kids again and didn’t have the world or war to worry about. Back to simpler times.” Ty Lee smiled at a memory from their childhood. “Once you’re better, I hope I could still be your Dragon Empress. You’ll always be my Dragon Emperor. I’ve loved you since we were kids and despite everything in-between until now, I still love you. Even if we’ll never get to be together, I just want you to get better and be happy.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Azula looked up when she saw Ty Lee walk back into the room with the futon. “Whoa, hey.” She grabbed the futon as it was starting to fall out of the other girl’s arms. “You couldn’t take multiple trips?”

“I could have, but didn’t feel like it.” The acrobat stuck her tongue out playfully.

The princess shook her head. “Of course you didn’t. I see you’ve met up with your sisters somewhere over the years.”

“Yeah, it was quite an eye opener. Not long after the war ended a lot of people kept telling me that because joined the Kyoshi Warriors, I was putting myself in a matched set again.”

“Who said you were part of a match set?” Azula asked even though she had a feeling she knew the answer. “you’re part of something that’s anything but a matched set.”

“I know.” Ty Lee replied quietly. “It just took seeing my sisters again to remind me I can always remove the makeup and still be me with my Kyoshi sisters.”

Azula smiled softly. She was proud that Ty Lee was able to overcome her demons with wanting to be viewed separate from her six sisters. She looked at the photo of the Ty sisters and then back at Ty Lee. “I would love to hear about how you met up with your sisters. I’m happy for you, Ty Lee.”

Ty Lee looked at Azula shocked. Her astonishment quickly changed to a huge smile seeing the subtle pink with Azula’s light blue aura. This was the Azula she fell for without Ozai’s influence over the princess. “I would love to tell you, Azula!”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“Zuko, please. I know I don’t deserve your help, but I need you.” Azula begged the image of her brother. “I… I’m sorry for everything I have done to you. I…”

“No lightning today? What’s the matter, afraid I’ll redirect it?” Zuko’s voice echoed.

“I’ll show you lightning!”

Azula dropped to her knees from the intense spiritual burn. She looked behind her to see herself from Sozin's Comet about to strike her with lightning. Before the lightning could hit her, the image of Zuko Azula had been talking to had jumped in front to shield her. Only the image didn’t have time to try and redirect the lightning like he had done during Sozin’s Comet. Zuko collapsed while the image of Azula laughed hysterically.

“Zuko!” Azula exclaimed before yelling from the burns coursing through her.

THe crackling sound of lightning pierced through the air as Azula witnessed the Avatar being struck by her in Ba Sing Se. A crowd of horrific screams and gasps erupted causing Azula to turn her attention away from Aang’s fallen body to witness Ty Lee falling from the high wire at the circus.

“No. You miscalculated! You should have feared me more!”

Azula covered her ears when Mai’s blood curdling scream echoed every direction. She was shaking violently and having trouble breathing.

“Breathe. Azula, you must breathe. This is not real. It is only an illusion.” Roku reassured the princess. “These are your guilt and shame. They are alive and well.”

“But I could have killed them! I did kill the Avatar and several times I’ve almost successfully killed Zuko! I was foolish to try and ask Zuko for help. I don’t deserve their help after everything I’ve done. How could I ever expect them to forgive me? Mother was right, I am a monster.” Azula screamed in agony as she felt weaker and weaker as if she was becoming ash again.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“Ease her gently into the tub.” Chi instructed her assistants. The princess was precipitating tremendously from her fever and needed to have her temperature lowered. Once Azula was placed into the tub filled with water, Chi slowly froze the tub to not shock the firebender’s body.

Hino bent some fire over Azula to feel the girl’s spiritual energy. The moment she realized what was happening to the princess, her fire turned blue and enlarged, burning her hands and arms before dissipating. 

“Doctor Hino!” All the assistants yelled.

“I’ll be fine. Get me a bucket of ice quickly and aloe vera.” All of the assistants scrambled out of the room to find what they needed for Hino.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Chi asked while still concentrating on her waterbending.

“Yeah. Nothing your waterbending can’t do to heal it. It was my own damn fault anyways, she is the strongest firebender in the world after all. but I at least know what is wrong with her.”

“It’s a spiritual illness isn’t it?”

Hino nodded as she looked down at her shaken hands. “It’s up to her now. All we can do is try to provide her time. Stay strong, princess. There are people who love you and want you to get better. C’mon princess, you have a whole life ahead of you to go out like this! Stay strong and fight!”

At the corner of both doctor’s eyes they noticed the flames from the candles and lanterns were flickering blue.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Roku knelt down and placed his hand on Azula’s cheek. “Azula, please listen. It is alright to feel guilty and ashamed, but you can not let it control you and bring out your fears. Aang is alive and will forgive you. Zuko is alive and has forgiven you. He wants you to get better.”

“Mai and Ty Lee will never forgive me and I wouldn’t blame them. I betrayed their trust by trying to make them fear me. I never deserved to call them friends.”

“Mai might not forgive you right now, but holding a grudge only leads to despair. She will forgive you someday. Ty Lee has forgiven you, she visits when she can and she wants you to get better too. It is in the past that you need to let go and do what you can to show you’ve changed. It will take time, but remain vigilant. There will always be someone to help as long as you ask.”

“What can I do? It hurts too much, I don’t know what to do.” Azula whimpered as tears started to trickle down her cheeks. “Besides it’s not like anyone is ever going to believe that I want to change. Everyone things I’m a liar. I always lie.”

“Are you lying about wanting to be better?”

“No.”

“What about the love for Zuko and Ty Lee? Are you going to accept the lies and wrong assumptions others made of you?”

“No, I didn’t lie about any of those!”

“Oh, please. All you do is lie it’s how you’ve gotten by all this time.” Azula looked up to see herself standing over her. “Hmph. Look at you. You’re pathetic. My have you fallen since your Agni Kai. Father was right, you placed too much trust in those who only betrayed you and left you alone. Trust made you weak. You were at your best when you didn’t let anyone stand in your path to achieve your goals. Maybe Mother was wrong. Go back to be the monster that you were.”

Azula shook her head. “Shut up. You’re such a child. A child living a fantasy that was never your own. I am not a monster. I am not a murderer. I am the conqueror of Ba Sing Se.” Azula announced as she began standing up. “I am the daughter of the former Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Ursa. I am the great-granddaughter of the former Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku. I am no longer that broken girl from the war. I am Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation and the strongest firebender in the world.” She finished proudly having claim everything that she held to her identity and threw away everything she wasn’t. 

The shadow of her past disappeared with Roku standing in front of her smiling. “Well done. Now rise.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Slowly Azula opened her eyes only to immediately closed them. Her head was throbbing, she never wanted to experience what she had just gone through with Roku ever again. As she was starting to gain her senses of her surrounding she felt the firm grip on her right hand. She opened her eyes again to see Zuko holding her hand. His head rested on his arms sleeping. Azula noted the tear stains on her brother’s face, she guessed she probably cut it close when Roku was helping her recover. She squeezed his hand hoping it would cause him to wake up. And it did. The Fire Lord began to stir unsure if he actually felt his hand squeezed or wishful thinking.

“Hey Zuzu.” Azula spoke softly.

Zuko’s head shot up. “Azula? Please say I’m actually awake and not dreaming.”

“Yeah… I’m awake.” Azula’s eyes widen from suddenly being hugged by her brother.

“I’m sorry! Azula, I’m so sorry!” Zuko kept apologizing as he started crying again. “I can’t believe I almost lost you. I’m sorry for not visiting these last two years. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you personally about Izumi. I’m sorry...”

Slowly she returned the hug and held onto him as if she let go this would have been a dream. “Zuko, don’t abandon me.” She whispered. “Please don’t leave me behind. I need you.”

“Never.” He pulled back to look his sister in the eyes. “I’ll never abandon you. Azula, our relationship is so messed up. It’s been like that as long as I can remember. And maybe it’ll be like that for the rest of our lives. But one fact never changes. No matter what, you’re still my sister. And I need you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the conclusion to the first arc of Wanted. The way I have Wanted roughly planned out is into three arcs. There have been hint drops throughout the first arc on what the second and third arc will cover before this story is concluded. Love to hear what you guys think will happen in the second and third arcs. Also the second and third arcs are only the last several chapters left of this story, not as long as the first arc.
> 
> Music is amazing. Conveying feelings that could apply to things running through your head for a story. If anyone is interested, I’ll be happy to share the playlist I listen to when I write Wanted. Two of the songs I’ll share now are: ‘Slow Me Down’ and ‘Lullaby’ both by Emmy Rossum. Those were the first two songs ever added to the playlist that inspired Wanted.


End file.
